Hidden Truths
by I'm a Nerd and Proud
Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that? (Now Completed!)
1. Chapter 1

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Mark or Grey's Anatomy. But I do own my characters! ENJOY! I just wanna play**

 **PS: This takes place in season 5, episode 8. The one where Sadie comes in!**

 **~x~**

 **Chapter 1: These Ties That Bind**

She wasn't sure what exactly pulled her to Seattle Grace. Maybe it was because she had read only weeks ago that the famous plastic surgeon was working her or that she knew people who also worked there. Maybe it was because her old teacher, Doctor Richard Webber, had called her and asked her to come.

His Cardio surgeon had walked out on him and he needed someone to step in. Of course, she had agreed to come see if Seattle Grace was the right fit for her. But as the medium height, mid-30's woman stood in front of the elevator, her heart began to race.

What exactly was she doing here?

She had a job; she was already head of her department and had won _**two**_ Harper Avery Awards. She didn't need a job that paid her any less, not at all, and she didn't need this hospital's bad name dragging her down further. But as she waited, she heard voices coming towards her. Slowly, the woman turned and spotted two younger women walking towards her.

One had dark, wavy thick hair and the other had blonde hair. She noticed the coffee in their hands and how they carried themselves. They had to work here, and by the way they spoke so arrogantly, she supposed they were also surgical residents at least.

Shaking her head, and pushing some her dark chocolate colored hair behind her ear as she turned back to the elevator. She stepped into the elevator once it opened and she heard one of the two women coming towards her gasp.

"Mere, do you have _any idea who_ _ **THAT WOMAN**_ is?"

"No…Should I?" the Mere person said.

"That's Nina Knight, the best Cardio surgeon in the world. Mere, my god, can you be any more stupid? _She's better than_ _ **Burke**_!"

Nina couldn't help the smile that spread across her pale face and she stood near the back. A few other doctors and nurses filled the elevator. The two women, who were talking about her, missed it but not before Nina heard the gushing woman curse her friend out.

She couldn't help but find it amusing.

Once she got off on the correct floor, Nina asked a nurse where she could find Doctor Webber's office, and once she was pointed to it, she went. The office was easy to find once she had an idea on where she was going. Once she found the door, Nina knocked and was asked to come in.

"Doctor Webber, is this a bad time?" Nina asked, feeling nervous. Usually, she wouldn't care too much. She was impressive and Seattle Grace would be more than lucky enough to have her.

The older man looked up and shook his head, "No, of course not! Nina, please come in. Have a seat, why don't you?" He was grinning as he stood and offered her a seat. "And please, call me Richard."

The brunette nodded and walked over, taking a seat. "Thank you, Richard. I came here because you called?"

"Yes, of course," Richard said as he too, sat. "I called because my Head of Cardio walked out on me. As you know, this isn't good. I know I can't offer you everything you have already, but I can offer you a good working environment, a great staff and a helpful atmosphere."

"As much as that sounds good, I…I don't know if Seattle Grace is for me."

"You can work today, we have a case, and you can see firsthand how this hospital works as a whole." Richard offered quickly.

Nina shifted uncomfortably, before looking at him for a long moment. "We'll see how today goes then,"

"Thank you," Richard said and Nina stood. "I'll speak to you at the end of the day, does that sound good?"

Nina nodded and left the office, after saying her goodbye.

~x~

After speaking with the Chief, Nina realized that people were gossiping…and they were gossiping about _her_. Someone had let it slip who she was and that she was working there today. Nina wished that she could pretend that she wasn't who she was. She just wanted to see if this hospital would be good for her, was that so wrong?

She walked to the Attending's lounge and changed into some spare scrubs that a very nice nurse (she was pretty sure his name was Tyler) had handed to her. She looked in the mirror and wondered what she looked like in the navy scrubs. Nina grinned because she knew she looked grown up.

Once her hair was in a pony tail and making sure her eyeliner wasn't smudged (that was framing her dark forest green eyes), Nina went to find the Cardio wing. It wasn't too hard to find, and Nina found her way to the nurses' station. "Hello," She greeted. "I'm Doctor Knight-"

"Doctor Yang has already taken the chart,"

"What?" Nina was confused. Who was Doctor Yang?

The nurse looked up and swallowed. "You're the fill-in Attending aren't you?" Once Nina nodded, the nurse looked embarrassed. "Doctor Yang is a resident here at the hospital. She…she tends to steal Cardio cases before the other residents have a chance. She'll find her on her rounds."

"…Okay…" It still didn't explain why this person thought she could take Nina's cases. "Can I have the patient's room number?"

"Of course!" The nurse went onto the computer and looked up Nina's patient.

 _Today is already off to a bad start_ , Nina thought with a heavy heart and sigh.

~x~

After tracking down the room number, Nina is greeted by the sight of two residents (they had to be, because there were younger doctors behind each and they were all in light blue scrubs) fighting over a chart.

"Yang, I was assigned to this case! Doctor Bailey gave it to me!"

"Cardio is _my thing!_ And this is _Doctor Nina Knight!_ I've gotta work with her!"

Nina was beginning to get sick of people saying her name like she was some sort of God. She was just a normal person, a surgeon who was very good at her job. So Nina, feeling annoyed already with the dark haired woman, stepped forward and held out her hand for the chart. "Excuse me doctors, but may I see the chart?" Nina said coolly.

The dark haired woman, she realized she was the resident, who stole her chart, turned and her eyes widen. The man looked at Nina with annoyance but also interest.

"Of-of course!" said the woman handing the chart over, and both residents looked annoyed at each other before looking at Nina. They were already fighting to get her attention. "Doctor Knight, I hear you're doing a piggyback heart transplant? I was wondering if I could scrub in?"

Nina opened the chart, half listening as the man defended himself.

"Doctor Bailey, the Chief Resident, assigned me to this case." He said.

"It's Doctor Knight's choice, Karev." Yang pointed out.

Finally she looked up. "I'm sorry Doctor Yang, but if Doctor Karev was assigned as my resident, I'll have to take him. Now, if we can move to the patient's room, Doctor Karev." Nina said ignoring the look of pure distress on Yang's face. She stepped into the room and smiled at her patient. "Good morning Clay…"

And so began her day.

~x~

Throughout her day, Nina could see Yang- she learned her name was Cristina Yang- watching her constantly. She found it unnerving and Nina wished she could crawl into an OR and hide there for the rest of the day. Or, she wished she could go home and….

 _No, don't think about that right now_. Nina told her mind firmly.

It was during lunch, right before she was expected to go into the OR and do the Piggyback that Nina first spotted him. She was sitting at a table with her chosen food (a BLT sandwich, a bottle of water, a salad, and a bag of Salt & Vinegar chips), munching on her sandwich when an older man strolled in.

She tensed, her forest green eyes widen and her peachy skin going pale. She knew she had read about him, it was expected that she'd run into him at some point especially if she took the job, but at seeing him in the flesh…it spooked her.

Nina felt the sandwich fall from her hands and she began to feel sick, her empty stomach turning. What exactly could she do? Should she bolt and pretend she hadn't seen him? But as she watched him, more like stared at him, Nina realized that he was turning.

And it was too late.

Mark Sloan had spotted her.

Her throat went dry and her whole body turned into a statue. She didn't expect him to remember her; it wasn't like she ever truly mattered to him. It was just to get into her pants, she knew that. But as she stared at him, Nina could feel old, long since dead, feelings beginning to rise inside of her.

She had to get out of there.

Her food now forgotten, Nina stood, grabbed her pager (which she had taken off for lunch) and bolted. She could hear the faint sound of 'wait' but she couldn't. Nina rushed away from that room as fast as her legs could carry her.

~x~

While Nina was scrubbing out, Alex Karev by her right side and Miranda Bailey on her left side, she was listening as the shorter woman said thank you. Nina honestly didn't care of Clay kept the heart. If he wanted it, he could have it. And at the sight of his heart returning to normal, beating like a normal person, Nina couldn't help but consider that a win.

Karev and Bailey left, after Nina telling Karev he was to watch over Clay. The brunette looked through the window at the OR and let out a content sigh. After the near-panic attack moment (the one where she was almost caught by Mark Sloan), Nina was now much calmer.

What she didn't expect was to be cornered by Mark after she left the scrub room.

"Nina, we've gotta talk."

She jumped in surprise and faced the man, who was leaning against the wall in a dark blue navy scrub cap. Nina was wearing one that had a white base and cartoony cupcakes scattered over it.

Nina was cornered. Her hands tightened and turned to fists, "What exactly is there to talk about, Mark?"

She was bitter. She could admit that, but what he did to her…she had every right to be bitter.

"Don't be a bitch," Mark said sharply. "What happened was _both_ of our faults!"

"How exactly was it my fault?" She demanded. She could barely think straight. She was annoyed, she was mad. She was _pissed_. "You're the one who couldn't keep his penis in his pants."

Mark sighed loudly, shaking his head. "This isn't how I wanted this to go…"

Nina glared at him. "Well, it's true Mark! You were the one who had to sleep with my _sister_!"

"I didn't know she was your sister!" Mark pointed out.

She threw her arms up into the arm. "And that makes it magically okay?!"

"Of course it doesn't-"

"And I still don't understand how it's my fault that you slept with her!" Nina had so much anger built up inside of her towards Mark. He let out a frustrated sigh. "You were the one who said that you loved me, you were the one who said it'd be a good idea to be together! You were the one who went after _me_!"

"What we had was the best damn thing either of us has ever had, dammit Nina and you can't say it isn't. We loved each other, dammit!" Mark pointed out. "We were together for three years and it was only natural for us-"

"To get married?" She said feeling tears fill the corner of her eyes. "But what I still don't understand, if we loved each other so damn much, why did you cheat on me? Why did you break your fucking wedding vows for Carly, who I'd also like to point out, has been married for ten years and has two kids!"

They were both breathing very heavily and staring at each other (glaring in Nina's case). Mark was speechless. Nina knew he would be, so before she cried in front of him, she turned on her heels. "Leave me the hell alone, Mark."

"Nina-"

But she ignored him. She kept walking and she left him standing in the somehow empty hallway.

~x~

 **What do you guys think of Nina? I'd seriously LOVE to know! I hope you like her. More information about her and Mark will be relieved next chapter.**

 **Up Next:** _ **In The Midnight Hour**_ ; Nina's home sitting in front of the TV because she can't sleep. Seeing Mark so much is making her remember stuff she doesn't want to about their past.

 **Please review! Lots of love,**

 **Nerdy~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: I still don't own Grey's Anatomy but I do own Nina! ENJOY!**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **sadi385**_ _:_ I'm glad you're enjoying this story! I'm enjoying writing it!  
 _ **Guest**_ _:_ I'm so glad that you like Nina! The future for them seems sort of messy, huh? Especially because during the time she comes back to Seattle Grace, Mark is falling for Lexie. ;) Enjoy this chapter!  
 _ **Guest**_ _:_ Thank you. I'm glad you love this idea. I love it too xD  
 _ **Sam:**_ Hey, I'm a sucker too. Do you have any you would recommend? I'm glad you're enjoying this as well! *heart*  
 _ **QueenOfSlexieness:**_ I agree, Nina does sort of look like that in my head as well haha. I don't honestly ship Lexie/Mark together, but that's just me. And I'm glad you love this, I was very nervous about posting this honestly!

 **~x~**

Chapter 2: In The Midnight Hour

It had been a week since Nina took the job as Head of Cardio. Richard had pretty much begged her to do it and how could she say no to her teacher? But, it had come with a price. The job required Nina to interact with Mark and that meant bringing up memories from their past- something she wanted very much to _stay in_ the past.

However, after settling into her new two bedroom apartment, and taking the weekend off to get used to it, Nina was ready to jump back into the OR. Mark was in Plastics, she was in Cardio. They very rarely crossed paths, as Nina remembered.

At the moment, the brunette was sitting in front of her TV, the volume on low and she was bathed in this light- it was the only light on besides the bathroom down the hall. Nina's apartment was a two bedroom, with a kitchen that merged with the living room and counters/an island keeping them 'apart'. The bedrooms were across from each other and the bathroom down the hall at the end. Nina didn't have a proper dining room but that was fine.

Right now, the apartment was messy with boxes and dirty dishes Nina was too lazy to clean up yet. Things were scattered everywhere.

Nina sat on her couch, which she had finished digging out of the mess, and was staring at the screen blankly. She had been watching a rerun of some show that killed brain cells but she found sort of interesting. She was pretty sure it was called Lost.

She hadn't been sleeping well lately. Every time she closed her eyes, thoughts of her past with Mark entered her mind. Her fingers itched to go find the album of their life together that she knew she had. It was in a shoebox, hidden under her bed. The box had photos, small knickknacks that they had collected and Nina's wedding rings. She didn't know why she kept lugging it around, but she did. Though, she hadn't looked inside of it for months.

Slowly, Nina's eyes began to feel heavy. She had an early shift at the hospital and she knew she needed to go to sleep….ASAP…

~x~

 _Nina wasn't sure why exactly she was standing in the airport in New York. It had been an impulse buy and she had been interested. She was young and carefree. And she was 24! She had a life to live and she was about to start her residency, so she needed something to do,_ be _, before she became a surgeon officially._

 _She was standing in front of Baggage Claim, waiting for her white suitcase that had a large 'N' on it. It also had a lock on it and her name on a tag, just so Nina wouldn't lose it. Once she spotted it, she went over and grabbed it before leaving that large room and left the terminal._

 _She took in a deep breath. This was the furthest Nina had ever been from home. She had gone to Harvard for schooling, passed with top marks. She originally was from Ottawa, Canada. So Boston had been the furthest she had been until New York. But the furthest she would be Seattle, where she would be doing her residency under Richard Webber. Nina was excited._

 _Nina shifted as she hailed a cab. She went to get in only for a man to jump in with her. She wondered if she should be a bitch about it or just let it happen._

" _This is my cab, lady."_

 _She huffed. "And why can't we both use it?"_

 _The man had dark brown hair, bright but light blue eyes, a squared jaw and no beard or stubble. He looked freshly shaven. And when he smirked at her, Nina could swear she found it…annoying. Who did this man think he was?! Yes, he was handsome…but that didn't mean he owned this world._

 _Now it looked like this man was checking her out. "If you'd like to share a cab, let's, the name's Mark. Mark Sloan." He said offering her what she assumed was a 'flirty smirk'._

 _Nina thought it was annoying. "You're an asshole," She settled into her seat and cuddled her purse to her chest._

 _The cabdriver turned to look behind at the pair. "Where am I bringing you both?"_

 _They answered the same hotel. It was going to be hellish, Nina could already tell._

~x~

Nina woke and sat up, her heart racing and she felt sick. She stood and wandered into the kitchen to grab a drink of water. The memory wasn't one of the harder ones to relive. It was just how they had met. It was all luck, truly that they had stumbled onto each other.

Mark had just gotten back from a conference and was heading to the Hotel to stay in while his apartment was going under reinvasions. It was all luck that brought the two of them together…

She turned on her kitchen tap and leaned down to get some water. All her cups that she had found from her move were dirty so she would just do this instead of clean anything. Once her thirst was taken care of, Nina wandered to the couch. She sat down and sighed loudly.

What had followed the next day was Mark coming across her in the restaurant in the hotel and him asking her out to get drinks. Nina, being still sorta annoyed, denied. Besides, he looked like the sort of guy who wasn't interested in Nina. She wasn't there to find a fling or something; she was there to have an adventure. She would be working in a hospital almost non-stop in a few short weeks; she wanted some freedom until then.

For three _days_ , Mark would find her and ask her out until she agreed.

Nina knew their first "date" (it was just drinks) would be haunting her dreams next and she hated to think of it. She laid down and closed her eyes. She knew if she went to her bedroom, she would be thinking of other things and she wasn't ready for that sort of thing.

~x~

 _Nina wasn't sure what exactly she was doing. She had finally agreed grumpily after Mark had asked her out for the hundredth time. The man was being way too annoying and yet, somehow she couldn't help but feel…excited. No man had ever paid her much attention before. She was standing in the waiting room of the hotel, looking out the window._

 _She was standing in black figure-hugging jeans, black heel boots, a blue tank top and a black leather jacket. Her brown hair was curled and her eyes were done in smoky eye makeup. In short, Nina looked hot. She thanked the heavens that Carly (Carly was her little sister) had taught her how to be a girl._

" _Wow, don't you look hot,"_

 _Nina turned and found Mark behind her. Mark was wearing light brown skinny pants, white tennis shoes, a white t-shirt and a black suit jacket. His brown hair was styled and Nina could admit, he looked hot._

" _Thanks," Nina said uncomfortably. "You look pretty good yourself."_

 _Mark smirked and led her out of the hotel. Nina wasn't sure what exactly she had just gotten herself into, but she couldn't help but smile. They hailed a cab. It wasn't too awkward, but Nina felt like there was a big elephant in the cab or something._

 _It didn't take long though for the couple to reach the bar. Nina could feel the music under her feet and she smiled. She had always been interested in this sort of thing, though had been too busy studying to get the chance to party. They entered the bar and Nina noticed that there were a lot of people. People were grinding to the music and partying._

 _A lot of people were already drunk._

 _Nina spotted a couple making out, groping each other and Nina was pretty sure within minutes they would be sleeping together. She turned to look away. Mark led them to the actual bar to order drinks. "Double scotch, single malt," Mark ordered before looking at Nina. "What do you want?"_

" _Umm…A Bloody Mary please," Nina said unsurely._

 _Mark nodded to the bartender and faced Nina. "So what are you doing in New York?"_

" _Wouldn't you like to know," She replied as she watched the bartender make their drinks._

 _He chuckled. "Nina, we're on a date. We should at least try to get to know each other. Isn't that what we're supposed to do?"_

 _She glanced over at him. "So we're on a date?"_

" _Why not?" Mark shrugged. "So tell me, why are you in New York?"_

 _Nina's Bloody Mary was pushed towards her and Mark's scotch was pushed in front of him. She took a sip of her drink. "I came here to get away from college and have an adventure before I start my internship. Why are you in New York?"_

" _I live here," Mark replied. "Where are you starting your internship?"_

" _Seattle," Nina said as she watched him take a sip of his drink. She twirled her straw around in her drink. "What do you do for a living?"_

" _I'm a Plastic Surgeon. What are you going into?" Mark said. "Like, what are you studying to become."_

 _Nina thought it was funny. So she laughed. "Strangely enough, I'm training to become a surgeon too. What's your last name?"_

" _Sloan, what about you?"_

" _Knight,"_

 _The conversation went fairly well. They asked and answered questions all through the night. For a supposed date, Nina had fun. They drank, shared some laughs and had fun. They called a cab and went back to the hotel. Nina would be flying out to Seattle at the end of the week. So she figured, even if she had fun with Mark, she'd never see him again. Though, Nina did not sleep with Mark Sloan that night._

~x~

Nina's dream molded into the next memory, another fun one that didn't hurt as much as others…

~x~

 _The last day in New York, and somehow, Nina had spent all of her free time after that evening with Mark. He made her feel things she had thought she could never feel. She was sitting in Mark's hotel room, surprisingly; they were just watching a movie together. Sure, Mark had made passes at her (Nina wasn't stupid) but they hadn't done more than kiss._

 _It was during the movie X-Men that Nina had convinced Mark to watch with her that he made a real move. He dropped his arm around her shoulders. Nina looked up at Mark before leaning into him. She laid her head on his shoulder and enjoyed the closeness._

 _When Logan was trying to figure out where he was in the movie, Mark made her look up at him and he kissed her. Nina kissed him back, she couldn't help it. Their lips molded together and she didn't even notice it, but he was running his hand from her waist and up._

 _He cupped a breast and Nina pressed her chest into his hand. What had brought this on? They had known each other for maybe a week. And they had only been talking properly for a few days. Nina wasn't like this._

 _She pulled back. "Mark…"_

" _Shh….it's going to be okay…" Mark purred. "Let me make you feel good, Nina…."_

 _She whimpered gently and closed her eyes tightly. "We can't…"_

" _Why not?" he asked against her neck, where he was kissing._

" _I'm…I'm starting my internship in Seattle. You're going to be here…we can't…" Nina tried to explain, but she was breathless. Mark looked up at her. "This would never work…"_

 _Mark thought about it. "How do you know it wouldn't work? I think fate brought us together in that cab Nina. Why shouldn't we see where this leads us?"_

" _I've…I've never…" Nina blushed. "I've never had sex before Mark…"_

 _And he understood. "Let me be with you Nina and I'll make you feel good." She wasn't sure if she should say yes. He kissed her lips. "Would it make you feel better if I asked you to be mine?"_

" _Like…like your girlfriend?" She asked nervously._

" _Sure…" Mark purred._

 _Nina swallowed thickly. "I'm not ready for that…."_

" _I'll wait."_

 _And he did. He stopped kissing her like that and Nina was thankful. But she couldn't help but feel…empty._

~x~

 _A few weeks into her internship and Nina was feeling lonely. She and Mark had talked on the phone, emailed and used Skype as much as possible. She missed him a lot. They had been together for three months already and Nina was beginning to forget what it felt like to have his arms wrapped around her._

 _She had just gotten off her long 48+ hours shift and she was dragging her feet across the parking lot to her car. Richard Webber had worked her to the bone. But, Nina didn't mind. She was learning so much._

 _And she knew she had a chance, a_ _ **real**_ _chance in General. Maybe that was her calling…_

 _Nina wasn't sure what she was expecting but finding Mark Sloan leaning against her car was not one of them. They stood frozen, staring at each other before Nina bolted at him. She ran into his arms and buried her face into his neck. "Mark! What are you doing in Seattle?"_

" _I missed you," Mark whispered to her and kissed her forehead. "And I had some news I wanted to share with you…"_

 _Nina looked up and she let their lips connect in a sweet innocent kiss. "What? What's the news?" She asked after they pulled apart, and Mark opened the now unlocked car door for her._

 _He was smirking. "I've decided to take a job here in Seattle. I figured it'd be easier for us to be together. How does that sound Nina?"_

" _Oh god yes! That's amazing Mark!" They were once more, kissing…but much more passionately._

 _When they got to her apartment, Nina said that Mark could live with her. Even though they had only been together a little over three months, Nina and Mark could feel the calling in their bones to be together. That night….Nina and Mark made love for the first time for the both of them. Mark, yes he had been with other women, but they never mattered to him. And Nina was a virgin._

~x~

Her pager woke her up from the juicy memories. Nina was getting to the part where she looked up and her eyes met Mark's when he was getting ready to enter her. She pushed the thought from her head and went to get dressed. The hospital needed her.

Nina changed into jeans and a top. When she went into the second bedroom, she glazed at the bed on the far side of the room. Under the car covered blankets, Nina could barely make out the shape of a young six year old. Yes… Nina had a son.

She walked over and knelt down beside the bed, knowing sadly, that her boy was just sleeping on a mattress. They hadn't been able to properly move in fully yet.

"Ethan?" She whispered. The head on the pillow hid under his blanket. Nina smiled gently and reached over to touch her son's back. "Hey baby, mama needs you to wake up…"

"Does the hospital need you?" Ethan asked under the covers.

Nina nodded. "Yes baby, there's been an accident…"

Ethan rubbed his eye as he rolled over to face his mother. Curly brown locks hid Ethan's face slightly. His pale skin almost glowed against the nightlight in his room. He rubbed his eye and stared at Nina. Ethan had just turned six.

Nina's forest green eyes locked onto Ethan's light blue ones and she smiled at him. "Who's gonna watch me, mommy?" Ethan asked sleepily.

"I'll ask Richard, how does that sound?" Nina said.

"That sounds M'kay mama…." Ethan said. "Do I need to change?"

Nina shook her head. "No, let's just get up and get your jacket."

Ethan pulled himself out of bed and moved into Nina's arms. She brought him to the kitchen and put on his jacket. They left shortly and went to the hospital. Nina had been paged by Doctor Hunt to look over one of his trauma patients.

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **All By Myself**_ ; Nina has Lexie Grey on her service for the day. It is during this time that she realizes that Mark has a thing for Little Grey. This reminds Nina of how Mark wooed her and then purposed. Mark is also still trying to talk to Nina but she isn't having any of it.

 **Yup. Nina has a son. Can any of you guess who Ethan's father is? ;) Oh, and Nina met Mark eleven years earlier. Do you want more memories? And what do you think of the love-triangle that is forming between Lexie/Mark/Nina? Will Mark decide he wants Little Grey or will he decide he wants his ex-wife?**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**

 **Nerdy~**

 **PS: I will be updating from now on, on Mondays and Fridays. So I'll see you on Friday!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: I still don't own Grey's Anatomy *cries* HOWEVER, Ethan and Nina are creations of my mind ;) Enjoy chapter 3!**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **H**_ : Hey! Thank you for the review, I enjoyed reading it! Mark is sure to freak out, I mean, he's never had a kid before, huh? ;) Well, that he knows of. But that is beside the point. Shit is about to hit the fan this chapter, because of Lexie. ENJOY!  
 _ **mandy67**_ : I won't reveal anything yet! You'll find out if Nina knows Derek and Addison later. Do you honestly think that Derek would have let Mark screw up the relationship he had _with his wife_ aka Nina? But who knows xD ENJOY THIS CHAPTER!  
 _ **Guest**_ : Yes, logically, it would be Mark. But this is Grey's, has anything actually been logical? This show is about drama and amazing characters! Look forward to hearing from you after this chapter ;)

 **~x~**

Chapter 3: All by Myself

It was an early morning; Nina had been told there was a meeting on the Solo-surgery. She found her way to the meeting and took a seat, not truly thinking about who could sit beside her. She ended up on Derek's right, not that she cared. And who sat across from Nina?

Mark.

Mark Sloan.

She ignored him as she listened to the Chief. They were taking votes. They went through each resident's name, and each time, nobody casted their vote. Until… "Cristina Yang," And everyone's hands rose.

Nina also raised her hand, knowing that even though Yang had let her interns operate on themselves, she was more than capable of doing the solo-surgery. And because Nina had raised her hand, Mark also raised his hand.

He didn't care who did the solo-surgery, honestly.

Once the meeting was finished, Nina stood and started to exist the room, knowing she had a surgery she had to get to. She let her thoughts wander, and she let out a sigh. Things were tense between her and Mark. She hadn't been able to face him. Nobody knew about their past, thankfully.

Nina was standing by the OR board, off to the side and watching the residents. Richard told them who they had picked: Cristina Yang. Nina smiled gently as she watched the woman, though Nina was annoyed that Richard was making her decide who would be doing the surgery. She turned and walked away, heading over to Cristina first.

After Richard left, of course.

"Doctor Yang," Nina said surprising the woman.

Yang faced her. "Doctor Knight?"

"How would you like to be on my service today?" Nina knew that people had been bashing the woman lately. Cristina looked confused. "You may not be able to do a solo-surgery, but I can let you help."

Yang nodded and thanked her. "Thank you Doctor Knight….I'd really like that."

~x~

Nina wasn't sure why she had decided to come down to the Plastics wing. Maybe it was because she was looking for Lexie Grey, the intern that Yang had given her. Yes, interns weren't allowed in the OR, but Nina needed Lexie to run tests for her while Yang decided who to pick. It was then that Nina found Lexie speaking to Mark.

Lexie was flirting with Mark Sloan.

Rage filled the small dark haired woman. How dare Lexie flirt? Yes, Mark and Nina had been divorced for years. But it still bothered her to see him flirting, especially when Lexie looked similar to Nina. She walked forward. "Doctor Sloan," She said bitterly, causing Mark to turn and look at her. He looked surprised that Nina even said his name. "Is it alright if I steal my intern back?"

"What? I'm not-"

"Your resident, Doctor Yang, says otherwise, Grey." Nina said sourly. "Doctor Sloan?" She questioned him.

Mark looked like a deer caught in some headlights. Nina knew he wasn't expecting her to speak to him, especially because she avoided him like the plague. "Sure…" Mark said uneasily.

Lexie looked outraged, because she had been hoping to maybe get laid by Mark. "Doctor Knight I'd rather-"

"You are an intern, and you will do as you're told." Nina turned on her heels. "Now come along, I'm being paged into the OR."

Lexie followed after Nina like a little kicked dog.

~x~

Nina is standing in the OR, beside Yang with a scalpel in hand. Derek was talking about the surgery with Yang, well, sorta. Nina offered for Yang to do some suturing since they were almost finished.

The machines began going off when Karev stepped forward to do the graft. Holly died on the table.

~x~

Nina lost Lexie again. The little intern had gone off to watch Mark's cutting edge surgery. It bothered Nina that Lexie had more interest in Plastics than Cardio. Cardio was the most cutting edge of all the surgeries, and only the best could be in it.

Nina had tried to offer some help, telling Cristina that charts helped her make some decisions. After leaving Cristina to do her own thing, and Nina going to speak with the family (which had gone well, the family had agreed to give Holly's organs to sick people), Nina went to collect Lexie. She found the little intern staring down at Mark's surgery in the gallery.

"He likes you,"

Nina heard the blonde intern, Sadie she was sure, say to Lexie.

"What? Him? Of course he doesn't!" Lexie said blushing.

The attending is filled with rage. She turned on her heels and left.

~x~

In the cafeteria, Nina is steaming with hurt and pain. She isn't sure how to deal with all these emotions. She's mad at Mark for cheating on her. She's mad at her sister, Carly, for sleeping with her husband. She's mad at herself for still being in love with Mark Sloan.

She was glaring down at her coffee and donut. She eats junk when she's upset. And when she's angry and sad, she eats a lot of junk and chocolate.

She began to remember even more of her past with Mark…

~x~

" _Happy Valentine's day!" there she was, standing in front of their small table with food and wine on it, a bright smile on her face and she looked just so proud. Nina had gotten the day off, and had spent the day slaving away hoping to make Mark happy._

 _Even though she was close to the end of her year as an intern, Nina was happy. She had been with Mark for almost a year. It would be a year in May._

 _Mark had just gotten home from a surgery and was greeted by the sight of his girlfriend standing in her bare feet, jeans, and a white tank top. He thought she looked beyond beautiful. Her brown hair was pulled back in a messy pony tail, some of the hairs falling out but it only added to her natural beauty. He grinned and walked over to her and planted a kiss on her lips. "Happy Valentine's day,"_

 _Nina threw herself into his arms and kissed him happily. She had been excited for this day for weeks. She had driven her friend, Amy Reins, and fellow intern into near insanity talking about what she planned to do for Mark. Nina grinned as she glanced up at her boyfriend. "How was your day?"_

" _It was same old, same old," He reassured her as he moved some of her hair behind her ear. "I love you…"_

" _I love you too," Nina replied happily. They decided to sit down. Mark sat on a chair and Nina sat beside him. They dug into the chicken, cheesy mashed potatoes and peas. "Any interesting cases today?" she asked._

 _Mark shook his head. "I only had a breast implant today." He said sighing._

 _Nina touched his hand. "Hey, you still changed someone's life today and that's amazing." While the couple chatted, and enjoyed dinner, Nina noticed the way Mark looked nervous. "Mark baby, are you okay?"_

 _Mark nodded. "I'm fine,"_

" _Are you sure? You look really pale…" Nina said frowning. "Did I not cook something right?"_

" _The food is amazing, Nina." Mark reassured her. Though they both knew Nina wasn't the best cook. There was a reason why she had spent the day cooking. The next thing Nina knew, Mark was kneeling before her. She dropped her fork in surprise. "Nina, I know we haven't been together very long…but I feel like I've known you forever. Please, will you do me the honors and make me the happiest man alive? Nina Knight, will you marry me?"_

 _She wasn't sure why, but she nodded with happy tears rolling down her cheeks. "Of course! Yes!" She shouted throwing herself into his arms, after he set the ring on her finger. She kissed him passionately._

 _Nina was excited to know that she would be becoming Mrs. Mark Sloan._

~x~

"I spotted you in the gallery,"

Nina was pulled from her memories and thoughts by none other than Mark Sloan. She was staring blankly at him, stunned for a few minutes. "So?" She said, her brain not properly working.

The memory had stunned her. She remembered being so excited. But now she realized that Mark and her, they weren't ready for that back then. And he was her Attending. People knew of course, that Mark had become her Attending after they had started dating. And she hadn't been interested in Plastics. She loved Cardio.

"I thought you hated me," Mark commented.

Nina rolled her eyes. "I don't _hate_ you…"

"Yes you do," Mark pointed out. "You caught me in bed with Carly. And we both know it wasn't the first time…"

She looked away. They both knew it was true. Nina knew deep down that Mark had been cheating on her, but seeing him inside and on top of Carly had pushed Nina over the edge. She swallowed thickly, as she awkwardly took a drink of her coffee. "So what if I hate you, Mark? It isn't like it matters to you…"

"Of course it matters to me, you were my wife. You were my best friend-"

"Oh shut up and cut the crap. If I honestly meant so much to you, why did you cheat?" Nina demanded, "Especially with my sister? Was going behind my back and sleeping with other women not enough?"

Mark sighed. "I told you, I didn't know she was your sister."

Carly and Nina never really close near the end. Carly had been complaining about her life and Nina was so busy being a resident. And then to add to the fact that Nina knew Mark was cheating but couldn't bring herself to actually acknowledge it.

"It still doesn't matter, because you shouldn't have slept with her or any of those other women." Nina pointed out. She stood up because she was being paged to the daycare. Nina knew that she had to pick up Ethan. She had promised that they would go out for dinner. "I've gotta go…"

"I just want you to know that I did love you, Nina. And that I still do. I regret doing those things…will you please give us another chance?" Mark asked, after grabbing her hand.

She shrugged his touch off. "If I mattered so much, why did it take you seven _years_ to say this?" She demanded. He was silent. "Exactly! You don't love me Mark. You love the idea of me." And she left him standing there, yet again, and went to collect her son.

~x~

 **UP NEXT:** _ **Wish You Were Here**_ : Nina meets the one, Doctor Arizona Robbins, because Ethan hurt himself in daycare. Unknowingly, Arizona pages Plastics to suture up Ethan's cut on his face so it doesn't scar. Que Mark meeting his son for the first time and doesn't know it.

 **What do y'all think of this chapter? Shorter, yes, but this episode there wasn't much to do for Nina. I still hope you're all enjoying yourselves! And Arizona is coming, yay! How do you think Mark will react to meeting Ethan? And will Nina find out that he slept with Lexie Grey?**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**

 **Nerdy~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: I still don't own Grey's…but if I did! Well, let's just say things would be WAYYYY different, haha!**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **Guest**_ : What do you mean 'suite'? O.O  
 _ **Guest**_ : I've been playing with the idea of MerDer. I haven't decided if I'll go with that or have Derek get back together with Addie. Or something, I haven't decided lol  
 _ **h**_ : You are totally right. :) Lexie SHOULD learn to respect her superiors! Surely, Nina will teach that girl a lesson soon ;) And Nina won't be so easily wooed by Mark. He slept with her little sister. And not just Carly, but many other women! I hope you enjoy chapter 4 :D  
 _ **sadi385**_ : I update on Mondays and Fridays though I might change it just to Fridays… Not sure yet. Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying the drama! I hope this chapter appeases you!

 **~x~**

Chapter 4: Wish You Were Here

Ethan was excited. His mother had said that she would be having lunch with him and would be playing with him after, as long as she wasn't pulled into surgery. For being only six years old, Ethan was very smart and knew his mommy helped a lot of people. He however, couldn't help but smile brightly when he said goodbye to his mommy.

His mother left and Ethan turned to look for something to do. His blue eyes zeroed in on the coloring table. One of his friends, one Tucker Bailey, was already there and coloring. Ethan walked over and greeted Tuck. "Hi Tuck!" he said excitedly, sitting down on a chair beside his friend.

Tucker looked up and smiled. "Hi Ethan,"

The boys got back to coloring and drawing. Ethan decided that he would draw a picture for his mother. He started off by drawing his mother in the dead center of the page. He picked up a brown crayon and colored her hair in, making sure to do it slightly wavy. He always thought his mother's hair was so beautiful. Next, he picked up a dark green and drew her eyes.

Ethan wished that he had her eyes. Instead his were a dull blue.

He decided his mother would look amazing in navy scrubs which he saw her always wearing for work. Next, Ethan drew himself. He was smaller than his mother, but holding onto her hand in the drawing. One he finished himself, Ethan picked up a pink crayon and drew a heart the best he could around his family.

"Where's your daddy?"

Ethan looked up and saw Tucker looking at his drawing. Feeling embarrassed, because Ethan was the only kid without a daddy, he played with his shirt. "I…I don't know…I don't have a daddy…"

"My mommy says everyone has a daddy. And then we have Our Father, God." Tucker said.

The blue eyed boy didn't like the sound of that. Was he wrong because he didn't have a daddy? But if Tuck was right, then where was his daddy? Ethan looked down at his drawing. He wanted his daddy.

~x~

He didn't mean for this to happen.

He didn't mean to cause trouble.

He didn't mean to cause himself to bleed.

Ethan had been cutting out some shapes for another art project he was doing- this time it was a card asking his daddy to be his and to love him. And for his daddy to join his family… Then, he had dropped the scissors and had gone to pick them up. Only, one of the meaner kids ran by and pushed Ethan.

He hit his head off the table (which had a sharp edge to it) and cut his head. His hand was also cut from the open scissors on the floor. He began to cry right away when he saw the blood. One of the caretakers (her name was May) rushed over and realized that he was hurt.

While she tried to calm Ethan down, another caretaker, (her name was Dianna) called up the kids doctor, Doctor Robbins. When Doctor Robbins appeared, Ethan was now wailing. Not only did his head and hand hurt, but he realized that he had caused trouble for everyone involved.

His mommy would not be happy.

Doctor Robbins walked over. "Hey, are you Ethan?"

He looked up, tears rolling down his chubby cheeks and he looked ready to keep wailing. However, the friendly blonde just smiled at him and calmed him down. He slowly nodded.

"My name is Doctor Robbins, I was wondering if you'd let me look at your cuts?" She asked sweetly. He looked nervous. "I'm not a stranger, I'm a doctor. Just like your mommy, but I work on kids instead of hearts."

She knew his mommy? Then she must not be a stranger, Ethan thought.

He allowed her to take him to a room to look over his wounds. She cleaned him up but called another doctor (she said his name was Doctor Sloan) to sew his head up. What Ethan didn't realize, was that everyone was terrified of what Nina would do if they didn't take the best care of her only child.

~x~

Ethan was sitting on a bed, waiting for this Doctor Sloan to come help him. Doctor Robbins had been really sweet and even given him a cookie. So he was content, though still sad. Finally, an older man entered and looked surprised to see Ethan sitting there.

Actually, he was stunned.

"Hi, are you Doctor Sloan?" Ethan said, trying to be cheerful. "Did Doctor Robbins send you?"

Mark nodded and sat down, wondering why he was paged for a little cut. "Yes I am. And you are?"

"Ethan!" Ethan said happily, now letting the new doctor look at his cut. "Doctor Robbins said you know my mommy? Is she in surgery?"

Mark was stunned because he was pretty sure the only surgeon at Seattle Grace with a kid was Bailey. And Ethan didn't look anything like Bailey. "I may know her. What's her name?"

"Doctor Knight!" Ethan said smiling brightly. There was pride in his smile. "Doctor Robbins says mommy works on hearts and she's amazing. The best in her field!"

The man froze.

Nina had a son?

~x~

"WHY WASN'T I PAGED SOONER?!"

The rage of a mother, especially a protective mother, was not something you wanted to face when you were between her and her child. Nina, who had just gotten out of surgery, had just been informed that Ethan had cut his head open.

Her green eyes were blazing with rage, pure rage, and she was out for blood.

The nurse was stunned into silence, out of fear and nerves. "D-Doctor Kn-"

"WHERE IS MY SON?!"

"He's with Doctor Sloan,"

Nina turned to face this new person. Her green eyes met blue ones and Nina realized it was the Peds doctor, Doctor Robbins. She frowned deeply. "Why is he with _Sloan_?" She demanded.

"His caretakers didn't want to risk any scarring and asked him to close him up." Robbins explained.

Nina did not like that. Mark was with her son. Her baby was with Mark. Robbins tried to stop Nina but she was already pushing past the small woman when she heard the nurse finally tell her where Ethan was.

She pushed open the door and found Mark suturing Ethan's face. Ethan's whole face lit up in excitement. "Mommy!" he shouted happily.

Nina didn't care what Mark thought. She moved forward and checked him over. His hand wound was closed and now wrapped. His forehead was almost all the way closed, "Sweetie, oh my gosh! Are you okay?" She asked him worriedly.

Ethan nodded. "Doctor Sloan fixed me up! And Doctor Robbins gave me a cookie!"

She let out a sigh of relief. Ethan was okay. She couldn't help but check his head wound herself, her whole body going tense. "What happened? How did this happen?" she asked her son with worry. She hadn't realized that Mark had questions. She just needed to know her boy was okay.

"One of the other kids…pushed me. I hit my head off the table and the scissors I was using fell to the floor and I ended up cutting my hand on them." Ethan explained. "Doctor Sloan says I'll be okay mommy. He says they're clean cuts. I'll be fine!"

 _Of course you'll be fine. Because if you aren't…there'll be hell to pay._ Nina thought to herself. She kissed her son's cheek, making sure not to get in Mark's way. "Honey, what kid pushed you?" She asked. Ethan didn't answer. "Ethan?"

"They didn't mean to!" Ethan defeated his bullies.

She sighed, knowing that her son was painfully loyal….even when the people didn't deserve that loyalty. "Are you almost finished, Doctor Sloan?" She asked, frowning at the doctor.

Mark looked up from his work. "I should be finished in just a minute…I'm making sure he doesn't scar. That is why I was paged, was it not? The staff are afraid of scaring the famous Nina Knight's kid."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you _saying_ something, Doctor Sloan?"

"I didn't even know you had a kid," Mark added under his breath.

Nina rolled her eyes. "You never asked."

Ethan noticed the tension between his mom and Doctor Sloan. He had no idea why, but he could tell that it was there. After Doctor Sloan finished closing his head wound, Ethan asked his mother if he could go back to the daycare to get his things. A caretaker was there to bring him back.

Nina nodded her head and watched her son go with the caretaker to get something. He wanted to surprise her.

"Who's his father?"

She turned and found Mark standing there, looking very annoyed. She raised an eyebrow as in saying 'are you challenging me?' "Wouldn't you like to know?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

Mark stared at her with a glare. "How old is he?"

"He just turned six," Nina replied scowling at him.

"Is he mine?" Mark asked. Nina stayed silent. She didn't want to talk about. "Nina! Is he mine?"

She looked at him. "What do you want me to say? Yes? No? I DON'T KNOW? It doesn't matter what I say, because you Mark Sloan, will never want kids. You only want sex! And you aren't worthy of being Ethan's father!"

Mark rolled his eyes. "If he's mine, I want to know, Nina! He should have a dad!"

"And why? So that he can be disappointed when his dad doesn't make it home or pick him up because he's too busy picking up whores?" Nina scowled at him. "Yeah right, he's happy with me!"

He couldn't begin to understand this woman and just shook his head. "Well maybe he wants to know his father!"

"YOU AREN'T HIS DAD MARK!" Nina however, stopped shouting at Mark when Ethan re-entered room. "Come on Ethan," She said collecting her son and walking away.

~x~

After getting lunch with his mother, Nina left Ethan with Cristina Yang. Ethan didn't like Cristina. She scared him.

He wished his mom could take him to watch her work. He had done that a few times, he liked seeing her work. Especially because he knew how amazing she was at her job; Ethan wanted to be just like his mom when he was older. He was forced to follow behind Cristina like a little duck.

"Doctor Yang?" Ethan asked, causing the woman to pause and look at him. He felt like she was glaring at him. "Can…can we go talk to Doctor Sloan?"

Her eyes brightened, "Great idea kid!" She pulled him along. They found Doctor Sloan in the burn unit. "Sloan!" Cristina yelled.

The surgeon looked up and scowled at her. "What can I do for you Yang?"

"Watch this kid," She said gently nudging Ethan forward. "I'm gonna go watch a surgery."

Before Mark could say no, she had left. Mark looked awkwardly at Ethan but Ethan was staring at his patient. Ethan walked over and shifted. "You have a big ow-y….Is Doctor Sloan taking care of you?" The patient nodded, though looked confused. "I cut my head this morning and he stitched me up. I'm Ethan!"

"Danny." The patient, Danny, said, "Nice to meet you."

After Mark finished with Danny, he pulled Ethan aside to give him an odd look. "So what do you um, what to do?" He asked, confused since he didn't usually deal with kids.

Ethan smiled brightly, before pulling out a folded piece of paper. "You sounded like you knew who my daddy could be! So I was wondering, will you give this to him?"

Mark was stunned. "You don't know who your father is?"

"Mommy says that he can't be here for us because he isn't ready to know us. She also says that he doesn't know who I am." Ethan explained simply. "So will you give him this?"

Mark nodded and took the piece of paper. "Sure…"

"Thank you!" Ethan said excitedly. "Can we go watch mommy work now?"

"I don't know…"

"I'll be super good!" Ethan promised.

Mark agreed and then Ethan happily led him to the Cardio OR. He couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. However, they didn't get to make it because Callie appeared. She didn't even notice Ethan, who was standing off to the side while Mark talked to his friend. "I really, really, want to have sex with this girl, Mark!" Callie pouted.

Mark let out a sigh. "Callie you've gotta-"

"Be strong?" she asked, "Like you? You slept with Lexie!"

Now Ethan, he was confused on what sex meant. He tilted his head sideways, listening as the pair argued about the two interns. He didn't understand what this all could mean, but he figured that this was bad. He however, heard a loud gasp and then turned to find his mother walking over. She looked fresh out of surgery with her rosy cheeks and those glossy eyes she got.

"Mark Everett Sloan!" She hissed, standing in front of her child. Ethan ran to hold onto her. Mark winced. "Why exactly are you talking about S-E-X in front of my child?"

Callie's eyes nearly popped out of her head. " _THAT'S_ your child?!"

Nina scowled. "Is that a problem, Doctor Torres?"

"N-no ma'am….won't happen again!" Callie excused herself and rushed off.

Nina turned her eyes onto Mark. "And WHY do you have my kid?" She demanded.

Mark winced. "Doctor Yang left him with me."

She took hold of Ethan's hand. "Don't let it happen again," She turned and led Ethan away. Ethan couldn't help but look back at Mark, wondering why exactly his mommy hated Mark so much.

 **~x~**

 **Up Next:** _ **Sympathy for the Devil**_ ; Derek's mother shows up at Seattle Grace. Things are thrown into the fire when Mrs. Shepherd finds out that Mark was married and never told her. Nina remembers the wedding.

 **Yes, this chapter is based on Ethan's point of view. I felt like we needed one and I liked it! I actually can't wait for the next chapter, because I know that the big reveal is coming up! Which happen to be how Ethan was made and that Mark figures it out. I'm sure it'll be fun to write! :D ANYWAY, please review! I'd really enjoy reading your thoughts and feelings!**

 **Nerdy~**

 **REVIEW ;)**

 **ALSO, I'd really like it if you guys wished me Happy Birthday wishes because today is my birthday and now I am officially 17! :D *insert gasp* I'd really like my presents would be reviews ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: Do you think I magically got ownership of Grey's? Try again! And, I don't own the song lyrics I use in this chapter. Don't sue me! I felt that they fit perfectly in this chapter so whatever!**

 **Chapter 5: Sympathy for the Devil**

After a steamy night of sex and boozes, Mark stood by the door in some comfortable jeans and he was shirtless. He didn't know how he had ended up in Lexie Grey's bed again, but he had. And now he was standing in the attic of Meredith Grey's house. Derek, Mark's best friend, also lived here. He was cursing his luck.

At the hospital, it seemed wherever he went, he saw Nina or Ethan. They were all he thought about lately. It was confusing as hell and he was sick of it. Nina didn't want him. And Ethan, well, he wasn't even sure if he was his. The timeline fit, but Nina could have gone out and slept with as many guys as she could after they split. He hadn't spoken to her in years. And, he had lost the right to know.

"Why do you live in Meredith's attic?" He found himself asked Lexie, who was wearing just a shirt sitting on the bed. He held the door open, trying to listen for when the other residents went to bed at least. "How am I supposed to sneak out of here with that frat party going on downstairs? Don't you kids ever sleep?"

He turned and looked at Lexie, who was smiling at him.

"They're cleaning the house for Doctor Shepherd's mother," Lexie stated.

Mark froze. Carolyn Shepherd was coming to Seattle? Shoot! He was screwed! "Mrs Shepherd's coming? _To Seattle?_ " he asked.

"So….?" Lexie tilted her head sideways.

Mark gave her a stunned look. "So that woman practically raised me; taught me right from wrong, and if she found out that I was…that we were….ya know…and if she found out about Nina…" He trailed off. He realized just what Carolyn Shepherd would do if she found out that he had been married…and he hadn't told her.

Lexie blinked, not sure where Nina Knight fit into any of this. It was she and Mark who were together; not Nina and Mark. Knight hated Mark! "Where does Doctor Knight fit into any of this?"

However, he had already left. He was now dressed and taking his leave. He was almost home free when he stumbled into…Derek. "Mark?" Derek asked stunned.

"Hey wanna get a drink?" Mark asked, nervously.

Derek looked at him like he was crazy. "It's 4 in the morning,"

"Maybe I should have called…" Mark trailed off. "Anyway, I hear your mom's coming into town! Good times!" And Mark scurried off.

~x~

Ethan had stayed up all night because of nightmares. This had led to wetting the bed and leaving Nina with barely any sleep. She dropped Ethan off at daycare- he was going to be spending the night with Tucker since it was Friday. So Nina would have the evening off, which she would most likely be spending it catching up on sleep or surgeries.

Sometimes she wondered why she had decided she wanted to be a surgeon.

Nina dragged her feet across the floor towards the coffee cart. If people wanted her to be a normal human being, they would need to let her grab her coffee. While on her way to the coffee cart, Nina spotted Mark Sloan standing there. He was standing with Derek Shepherd.

This brought on another memory.

~x~

" _Mark, do you have any friends?"_

" _Of course I have friends."_

" _Then why haven't I met any of them?"_

 _The newly satisfied couple were laying in bed, naked and the blankets barely covering their lower halves. Nina was laying on top of Mark, on her belly so her breasts were pressed against his chest. She looked up at her fiancé. They would be getting married soon. She couldn't wait._

 _Mark looked a little uncomfortable. "I don't know,"_

 _She stared at him, wondering why exactly she hadn't met his friends. "Are you ashamed of me?"_

" _Of course not!" He reassured her. She looked very upset. "I just haven't found a way to tell them. They're busy in their own relationship."_

" _Oh…" Nina laid her head back down and closed her eyes. She didn't understand why she hadn't met any of Mark's friends. "Will any of them be coming to the wedding?"_

 _Mark wrapped his arms around her and began to gently run his hands up and down her back. "Nina, why don't we just…go to the court?"_

 _Nina lifted her head and stared at him. "Why?"_

" _You're doing your internship so you're busy all the time. I'm an attending, things are always so busy. Why can't we just do this? I want you to be my wife." Mark tried to explain._

 _She sighed and thought. "I don't know…"_

" _You can invite your friend Amy,"_

" _Do I get to meet your friends?"_

" _We'll see."_

~x~

Nina sighed to herself. She hadn't ended up meeting Mark's friends. She had learned their names- Derek and Addison. She didn't understand at the time why Mark wouldn't tell his friends about her. But now she did know.

He was ashamed because he was with an intern.

She walked up to the cart and ordered her usual. She ignored Mark and Derek. "Ah, good morning Doctor Knight," Derek said.

She glanced over at him. "Good morning Doctor Shepherd," Their relationship was professional. "Do you have any surgeries this morning?"

"I do," Derek replied. He began to chat about one of the surgeries he was going to be doing. Sadly, he was working on a criminal.

Nina listened, taking a drink from her now freshly made coffee. Mark was staring at Nina, as if trying to make sense of her. She ignored him completely. "Now if you will excuse me, I need to go collect Doctor Yang and prep my patient. See you later, Doctor Shepherd," She smiled before shooting Mark a cold look. "Doctor Sloan."

And she walked away.

She faintly heard Derek questioning what he had done to Nina. _He has no clue just how he screwed up my life_.

~x~

As Nina was scrubbing out of her surgery, another memory had hit her. She was washing her hands, thinking and her mind slipped back to that time.

To the time when she was happy and naive….

~x~

 _Mark had convinced her to just go to city hall. There they sat, waiting for their chance to go in and get married. Nina was just so excited. They had been together for a year now. Today marked the date of their first meeting- the day in the cab._

 _Nina had wanted to make it special and now it would be their wedding anniversary. She was sitting on the bench beside Mark, trembling with excitement. She was wearing a short white sundress that reached about her knees, had small straps and a low v-neck cut. It was a new dress that she had gotten just for today._

" _Can you believe it, Mark? We're gonna be getting married!" She gushed. She looked at him and then kissed his lips. She was just so excited. When their names were called, they stood and went inside._

 _Nina had written her vows._

" _Mark Sloan, can you believe me when I say I thought you were an utter ass the first time we met? However, you chased me. You made me feel beautiful and like I was worth something. Mark, you completed me in ways that I long since thought had died. I was drowning in emotion when you saved me. And I'm glad to say that I fell in love with you. I love you. I can't imagine my life without you anymore. A life without you is something I can't bare to even_ _ **think**_ _about because it's too painful. So today, I pledge my life to you, to be your wife and to love you until I die of old age. Even if you die before me, I will take no other to bed nor will I ever love someone as deeply as I love you."_

~x~

Mark's vows had been similar. Obviously, he had broken them. Nina could feel salty tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. She had kept her vows. She had not taken anyone to bed but Mark. And she hadn't fallen in love with anyone but Mark. She turned the water off and closed her eyes. She covered her eyes, feeling them begin to roll down faster.

A sob left her lips and she slide down the sink, bringing her knees to her chest. The nurses in the OR ignored her. Nina was alone. She cried. Why had she agreed to work at Seattle Grace?

Mark was destroying her.

She sobbed into her knees, thinking about him made her chest hurt. Once she had somewhat calmed down, she had stood and went to the Attending's lounge, thankfully, without getting stopped. Nina went straight for her phone and pulled up her wedding song.

The song she and Mark had danced to after getting married.

 _I Do (Cherish You)_ by "98 Degrees" filled the room. She sobbed as she listened to it. She hadn't listened to it since their last wedding anniversary. She wrapped her arms around herself as she listened to the words. She slowly began to sway to the music, remembering the way Mark's arms felt around her.

She was pulled back to when they were back in their apartment.

~x~

" _Why Mrs. Sloan, will you do me the honors and let me have this dance?" Mark was standing in the middle of their tiny crappy apartment, but it was theirs. He was holding out his hand, staring at Nina like she was the only woman in this whole world and he was the luckiest man to get to say that she was his wife._

 _She blushed. "There isn't even any music playing!"_

 _Mark chuckled and walked over to the radio/DVD player. He put a disk in and found the correct song. A song Nina had never heard before filled the room._

 _ **All I am, all I'll be,  
everything in this world.  
All that I'll ever need,  
Is in your eyes,  
shining at me.  
When you smile I can feel,  
all my passion is unfolding.  
Your hand brushes mine,  
And a thousand sensations,  
Seduce me 'cause I**_

 _ **I do cherish you.**_

 _She smiled and took his hand, which once more, was being held out to her. She smiled brighter as Mark wrapped her arms around her and she felt safe. He didn't even try to cup a feel; instead, he respected her and just held her as they danced. Nina enjoyed it a lot and she was so content in his arms._

 _When the song ended, she looked up and then their lips locked. After their kiss ended, Mark led his bride to their room to complete their wedding by making her his in every way possible._

~x~

Nina didn't hear anyone enter the room. She was listening to the lyrics and tried to understand what this exactly meant to her. She finally opened her eyes and found Mark standing in the doorway, staring at her with Derek by his side and Mrs. Shepherd.

They all looked shocked to see her crying and listening to the music. Nina shut off the music, wiping her eyes and excused herself before she rushed off.

~x~

Mark was stunned by the sight of Nina dancing by herself, crying and listening to their song. He was frozen in place, staring at where she had been. Derek shook his head, turning to his mom.

"Is that girl alright?" Mama Shepherd asked.

Derek looked over to the door Nina had disappeared into. "I'm sure she's fine,"

"She was crying, Derek." Carolyn pointed out. "And what song was she listening to?"

Derek shrugged.

Mark was utterly stunned. He wanted to disappear. Not only would Carolyn skin him for sleeping with a _twenty-four-year-old_ , but she actually might kill him for getting married and then divorcing without her knowing. But, as he stood there, realizing that he wasn't the only one reliving memories of their past marriage, it made him feel a little better. Why else would Nina listen to their song?

Carolyn noticed how quiet Mark had become. "Mark, do you know the song?"

He nodded slowly before he turned to leave. "Mrs. Shepherd, please excuse me…I…I've gotta go…" And he turned and left. Derek and Carolyn look at each other, confused about Mark's behavior.

~x~

Nina wished she could crawl into a hole and die. She was avoiding Mark like he had the plague. She was standing by the nurses' station, thinking about how she wished she could just forget. A patient's chart was in front of her, a pen in her hand and she wasn't even paying attention.

So she didn't notice when Mark appeared at her side.

"Let me take you out for dinner,"

She turned to look at him like he had grown two extra heads. "Excuse me?" She asked, shocked.

Mark was standing on her right, leaning against the nurses' station. "I heard our song, playing, Nina. You can't tell me you aren't missing me. So let me at least take you out for dinner. It'll be nice!" Mark said trying to convince her to let him take her out.

Nina rolled her eyes. "No," She said closing her patient's chart. She started to walk away.

"And why not?" Mark asked. "It's just dinner!"

"And the last time we had dinner; we ended up together and then married! And then you started sleeping around and then I caught you in bed with my _sister_ , having SEX, and we divorced! Where exactly does this tell you I want to get back together with you? I don't like you Mark!" Nina pointed out, with rage eating up at her. "So no, I will not go out to dinner with you!"

"What do you mean, you were married, Mark?" Nina and Mark turned and found Carolyn Shepherd standing there, staring at them with wide eyes. Mark couldn't form any words and Nina was frozen. Nobody knew about their marriage, well, besides Richard, but Richard knew it was over between them. It had been over for years. Carolyn walked over to Mark and placed her hands on her hips. "What do you have to say for yourself?" She demanded, in her mothering voice.

Mark winced. "Mrs. Shepherd-"

"When were you planning on telling me I had a daughter in law?" She asked. "Or that you divorced her?"

Nina handed the chart over and tried to sneak away. But Carolyn shook her head.

"You are not allowed to leave, either, missy," Carolyn stated firmly. "Why didn't you ask Mark to meet his family?"

Nina glared at Mark, because he had been the one to get them into this mess. And it looked like the nurses (the worse gossipers in this hospital) were noticing them. "I did ask to meet his family, and repeatedly, he told me he wasn't ready. And before I could meet you, I caught him in bed with another woman. So please, excuse me. I have patients to see." And Nina left them, rushing away as fast as she could.

Carolyn glared at Mark, causing him to shrink. Nina ran out of there as fast as she could.

"What does she mean you were in bed, caught with another woman? Have I taught you nothing?" Carolyn was hurt by this. She looked upset. Mark shifted and looked away, ashamed. He felt like he was George Shrinks or something.

He didn't like feeling small.

"Mrs. Shepherd- I… I didn't mean-"

"Cheating is a choice," Carolyn interrupted. "And by the sounds of it, you had been doing it often. Were you sick of that girl or something? Does Derek know?"

Mark looked down, feeling like a kicked puppy. "No, Derek doesn't know. And I wasn't sick of Nina. I was…I felt trapped. I was no longer…I was no longer Mark Sloan, the guy girls came to for a good time and I…I missed that part of me. Nina made me feel amazing, yeah, but she was and still is too good for me…but I love her."

"Then go after her, and try to make it up to her." Carolyn smiled gently at her 'son'. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"…I possibly maybe a father,"

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **Stairway to Heaven**_ : Lexie breaks Mark's penis. Nina, while walking down the hall on her way to make sure the nanny picked up Ethan, hears cries from an on-call room. Que Nina finding out that Mark is screwing Lexie Grey and his plans to win her over plummet into the toilet.

 **Hey guys, thank you** _ **h**_ **for the birthday wish, I really appreciate it. :) And to answer your review, Ethan isn't going to be how Nina finds out, as you know in chapter 6, Nina walks in on them doing the McNasty. ;)**

 **Guest: I don't want you to base your hate on Derek/Addison or Meredith/Derek. This story is about my OC Nina and Mark. I don't appreciate the hate on my birthday. I was already having a crappy day and these reviews that I read made it worse. It wasn't just you, and I don't know who I may put Derek with. Likely, Meredith! In the story line, like the show, Meredith and Derek already together! Like after chapter 5, Derek tries to purpose. Anyway, sorry for blabbing on. I just wish we could properly talk this through.**

 **Krista: I understand wanting Mark with Lexie, I do. However, when you started reading this story, it starts at the top that this is a** _ **Mark Sloan/OC**_ **story! Don't like, don't read. And I don't think Nina is a bitch, she's upset and I would be too. She loved Mark and gave so much of herself to him. And he cheats on her, with her sister? How would you react? When we get to the flashback on how Nina finds Mark with Carly, hopefully then you will understand why she's upset.**

 **Now that review responses are finished, I would like to say thank you again to h for the birthday wish. And for the reviews, even if they're mean. I'm glad to see what you're thinking and I will act accordingly. Anyway, please review! I'd love to hear what you think of Nina's past memories/the wedding! I almost cried while writing it :'( I ship Nina/Mark so hard!**

 **Nerdy~**

 **REVIEW PLEASE**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: Nina is mine and so is Ethan! Everything else doesn't**

~x~

Chapter 6: Stairway to Heaven

Nina was walking down the hallway of Seattle Grace, since there weren't any traumas or surgeries that needed her. She was taking her small dinner break to make sure that Ethan's nanny had taken him home. She was munching on some chips when she heard a wail of pain.

Confusion filled her as she moved towards the noise. Three interns were turning to leave, causing Nina to tilt her head sideways slightly. Whoever was crying in pain needed a doctor. Why weren't the interns doing something? Or at least calling someone to do something?

She moved forward and pushed the door open. She found Lexie Grey on the floor, a blanket barely covering her body and Mark Sloan, sitting on the bed, cradling his manhood which looked dented and broken. Nina knew without asking what had been going on and she was hurt, but mainly shocked.

Lexie yelped as she tried to cover up. Nina was her boss, by the way.

Mark and Nina locked eyes. He looked ashamed and embarrassed, and in a world of pain. She swallowed and knew that she had to get past her annoyance with him and to help him. She sighed loudly. "Grey, put some clothes on and get a room ready for Doctor Sloan," She hissed.

The intern didn't question, she jumped into action and pulled on clothes before rushing to get Mark a room.

Nina looked at him. "I'm gonna have to get Hunt,"

"Can't you just get Callie?" Mark said in a small voice. A voice filled with pain, she might add.

"Would you rather I left you here with interns?" Nina asked, crossing her arms over her ample chest. He looked uncomfortable. She sighed loudly and called for a nurse to have Hunt paged. "Besides, she can't help. You broke your _penis_. This is a trauma."

He looked away, whimpering in pain. It reminded Nina of the time Mark had gotten sick…

~x~

" _Nina, I'm dying."_

 _Nina was in the bathroom, brushing her teeth to ready for her first day as a resident. She had passed her intern exam and now was officially a resident. She was so excited! And, her teacher, Doctor Richard Webber, had become chief. She and her small group of interns were his last group._

 _She existed the bathroom and found Mark standing in the hallway entrance to where their bedroom was. She stared at him for a moment. She finished brushing her teeth and came back out, finding Mark was now leaning against the wall. He appeared weak and Nina could tell his cheeks were flushed._

" _Mark, are you okay?" She asked as she wiped her mouth on a cloth she had grabbed._

 _Mark scowled slightly, but he looked just so tired. "Do I look okay? Nina, I'm_ _ **dying**_ _!"_

 _She walked over towards him, after of course dropping the cloth into the hamper in the bathroom. She brought him over to the couch before going to check his temperature. The number surprised her._

 _Nina was pretty sure he was sick, but not dying… When she said this, Mark frowned deeper. "Nina, I'm literally burning up and I can't breathe! I'm dying! What else can explain this?"_

 _She sighed. "Mark, you're going to be okay."_

" _No I'm not!" He whined._

 _ **So this is what the man-flu is…**_ _Nina thought. "My poor man-baby…"_

~x~

She was snapped out of her thoughts when finally Owen Hunt entered the room. Mark was still whimpering until the other man entered. Lexie was standing by the doorway until Callie Torres walked in and then closed the door on her. Nina could only nod, glad to see the little intern being punished.

Nina however turned away as Owen checked on Mark's broken penis.

"Yup, that's a penile fracture." Owen said as he looked over Mark's wrecked manhood.

"Oh I'm gonna kill myself…" Mark moaned sadly. Nina couldn't help but glance over at Mark's out of order penis. She was curious; she had never seen one before (like broken).

Owen moved back a little. "We should operate first and then you can kill yourself." He said as Mark panted painfully.

"Oh god!" Mark whined.

"Can you do it?" Nina found herself asking. Owen looked over as he crossed his arms across his chest. "Like, can you save it?" As much as she hated him for sticking that penis in places it shouldn't be (when they were married), she understood that he treasured it.

Owen nodded. "I can, but we need to move fast or we risk permit damage."

"Oh god, no permit damage please!" Mark gasped.

Nina felt bad that he was in pain. She remembered faintly that when Mark was sick and crying that he was going to die, she had found out that he had a thing for having his back rubbed. She sighed and walked over to sit down beside him.

Ethan was similar to Mark in this way, because when he's sick, she'd rub his back and he'd be okay. Mark looked over at him with pain in his blue eyes.

"What?"

"Let me get behind you,"

"WHAT?!"

Nina however, somehow, got behind Mark and began to rub his back gently. She listened to his heavy breathing but he sounded a little calmer. She still remembered everything about this man- from how he ate his breakfast, to what he preferred to use in the shower and how he walked. She pushed this all aside though, as she tried to help him.

The door opened.

Nina looked up from Mark's slightly less pained face to see Lexie Grey. She wondered what the intern was doing here. Wasn't she just some sex toy for Mark? "Hey," Lexie breathed out before she spotted Nina.

Mark didn't notice the look of anger that passed Lexie's face. "Little Grey, go away. I don't want you to see me like this."

"Then why is she here?" Lexie slightly demanded, hurt in her voice.

"Little Grey…"

Lexie however turned and left the room.

Nina continued to rub his back. "You're being a big baby, she obviously wants to help."

"I don't want her to see me like this- all broken."

"Mark, you may be an ass, but you're still a wonderful person. Let her get to know you and even if your penis stays broken, that's okay." Nina stood up without disturbing him. "Because if she's smart, she'll make sure to keep your attention and will stay by your side through it all." She left him after making sure Owen was going to collect him for surgery.

~x~

It was shortly after she had made sure Ethan was okay and walking down the halls of Seattle Grace to check on Mark that she truly realized that she still was in love with him. Nina was shocked by this and wondered how this had happened.

She was supposed to hate him.

He had cheated on her; made her feel stupid; and he had broken her. Why was she still in love with him? HOW was she still in love with him?

Nina sighed to herself, shaking her head with just a look of pure confusion. Besides all of this, Mark was with someone else. He was screwing Lexie Grey. What did this intern have that Nina didn't?

The room Mark was in, the door was slightly open. She stared at it, wondering if she should go in. She sighed and pushed herself forward and entered the room. Mark was laying in bed, connected to wires and what not. He looked uncomfortable and tired. Nina stared at him for a few moments.

"Go away, Nina…" Mark said, "I don't want to hear you gloating or anything."

"Why would I gloat? You're hurt." Nina pointed out. She stood by the door, watching him. She looked down at her feet. "Ethan asks about you."

"Why?"

Nina shrugged. "He thinks you know his dad somehow."

"Do I?"

"Do you want?"

"Do I know who his dad is?" Mark asked. She swallowed and shrugged. She wasn't sure what to say. "I want a blood test."

"What?" Nina asked, shocked.

Mark sighed. "I want a blood test; I need to know if I'm his dad, Nina."

She didn't want to do that, but she knew that Mark had the right to know. Sorta. And she had a feeling that if she didn't, he'd go to court or something just as dramatic. She sighed and she looked away from Mark sitting in the hospital bed. "Fine, we'll do the blood test. I don't see much of a difference though, you still don't want kids."

Mark rolled his eyes. "I may not want other people's kids, but I'd want the ones I made."

Nina stared at him with pain in her eyes, trying to block out the memories that she had with Mark. She turned to leave the room. "If he is yours, this doesn't change the fact that you're screwing an intern. This, my being nice to you, doesn't change anything between us either." She reminded him before she left the room.

 **Up Next:** _ **Beat Your Heart Out**_ : Ethan's tested and his parentage is revealed. Nina stumbles upon Derek's plan to purpose to Meredith. And she also starts informing people on why she "doesn't like" Mark Sloan.

 **Hey guys, sorry if my last A/N was a little mean. I was upset and hurting. All my friends had forgotten my birthday. And then, I came home and read such awful comments about my work. I know, I should be able to take a hit…but being forgotten all the time by the people you love and who are supposed to love you, hurts. It still gave me no right to snap at you guys. *sighs* Anyway, next chapter for those who wanted MerDer, it is happening. It's following the show. Please don't be hateful! AND PLEASE REVIEW!**

 **Nerdy~**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Grey's Anatomy. If I did…well, a lot of things would be different. Like for example, most people wouldn't be dead! And others would be *shrugs***

 **AN: Sorry guys on the wait, I tried to post it before I went to school but Fanfiction wasn't working so I had to wait. Now I'm home and enjoying Friday. Are you all? ENJOY THIS CHAPTER! *heart***

 **REVIEWS:**

 _ **TheSilverWolff**_ : Your reviews always make me smile :) This chapter is for you! Though, I guess it depends on how you ship Nina/Mark ;) Because Mark is now more of the bad guy… Poor Markie! How do you imagine Lexie will react to finding out if Mark is a dad or not? ;) ENJOY!  
 _ **Leah Tatyana Nicole**_ : I'm glad you like Nina because I like her too :) Enjoy this chapter!  
 _ **Guest**_ : Aka sarah, it's fine. My friends didn't mean to forget but thank you :) It's cool that you aren't interested; some of this isn't someone's cup of tea. I've worked on it for awhile, thinking about it. I've thought of so many characters, such as Nina, another girl named Sabrina Hope; Harley Shepherd; and one named Gina. Well, oh well. Thanks for the review!  
 _ **h**_ : It does sound painful, am I right? Ugh. It makes me cringe just thinking about it and I don't even have a penis, lol! And yes, I agree with you. Men are horrible when they're sick. My step-father (god love him) becomes very moody and grumpy. Sorta like women do when they're PMS-ing. But he's like ten times worse because he also whines and complains, A LOT. But I am also with you, I still don't like Lexie even though she was an okay character. Not to get mad at me or anything, but she never was one of my favorites (neither was Izzie but let's not get into that). Nina is willing to do the test because she knows who Ethan's dad is. She has only ever been with one man. Thanks for your lovely review! I always enjoy reading your reviews! ;)  
 ** _.angel1_** : I'm so glad you enjoyed this chapter :D :) I enjoy writing it! Enjoy this chapter (and good luck!)  
 ** _mandyg67_** : Welcome to my story. :) I'm glad to hear from you and hope you're enjoying this so far. I hope you enjoy how they come to find out who Ethan's dad is ;) ENJOY!  
 ** _Guest_** : I'm sorry for the wait and delay on this chapter. The website wasn't working or something this morning so I had to wait until after school to post this. Again, I'm so sorry!

 **~x~**

Chapter 7: Beat Your Heart Out

~x~

 _Try imaging life with the person you're sure you're meant to be with…have it in your head? Good. Now imagine what it'd be like to find that person with your sister._

~x~

Nina had been on-call all night. She was tired and grumpy, and wanted to crawl under a rock to die. She had been in the OR for 12 hours during the night, and just when she was sure she could grab an on-call room, she had watched two young lovers take it from her. So, Nina was grumpy. She was utterly confused on where she stood with Mark and today was the day when they would "find out" if Ethan was Mark's.

It was as she was walking down the hall when she spotted Derek holding a small blue velvet box. She knew right away what it was- Derek was purposing to Meredith.

She had heard the whispers of them. The legend that was Meredith and Derek- MerDer, as some gossiping nurses told her one day. Nina stood there for a long moment, spotting Derek run into Mark. She started to move after them, but only close enough to hear and not for them to notice her.

"Hey! What's that?" Mark said in a joking voice.

Derek pocketed the ring. "What does it look like?"

"Those are dangerous! People who carry guns are more likely to fire!" Mark pointed out.

"Oh I'm ready to fire," Derek stated. "That isn't the problem. She's the problem. She spooks easily."

Nina finally felt like she should step in. So she did, even though she shouldn't. "Derek, she isn't used to having someone who sticks around. Just remember that, okay?" He looked confused but nodded. "Sorry. I spotted you with it a few moments ago. I'd keep it hidden if you don't want the nurses to gossip about it and let it slip to Meredith."

Derek nodded. "Good point,"

Mark frowned. "Doctor Knight, don't you have anywhere to be?"

"Besides getting my son ready to have his blood tested? No, I don't." Nina said firmly, and icily.

"Am I missing something?" Derek asked confused.

Why should she hide this anymore? It'd be coming out soon anyway. "Doctor Sloan didn't tell you? Oh, well, he's getting me to get my son's blood tested to see if he's the father." Derek looked stunned and Mark looked horrified. "I'm assuming he didn't tell you about our marriage, either?"

"WHAT?" Derek exclaimed. He turned to Mark. "You were married?!"

Mark's face went pale. "I-I…"

Nina watched as Derek faced her, his eyes searching for answers to unspoken questions. "We met…what was it dear? 10 years ago? Anyway, so we met and a year later got married. Oh and I was an intern. Mark has a thing for young women, don't you sweetie?"

"Nina!" Mark tried to stop her.

She shrugged. "We divorced 2 years later. I caught him in bed with my sister."

Derek felt fury fill his being. Mark just couldn't let marriage be, could he? He broke up Derek's marriage with Addison and now Derek learned that he broke up his own marriage… "What is with you and hurting people?"

Nina waved and left. Mark was stunned as he watched his best friend stalk off. Mark grabbed her arm before could leave. "Why did you tell him all of that?"

"So that he knows why I hate you." It was an utter lie but he couldn't know that. "I've got to pick up Ethan, he knows he's seeing a doctor today and doesn't understand. I hope you're happy…you're hurting him for your own gain."

And she too, stalked off.

~x~

Ethan was excited. He didn't know he'd be getting a needle today. He thought he was going to be spending some time today with his mother. He missed his mother. Since she had become Head of Cardio, her life had become much more focused on her job. There was rarely any time for Ethan anymore.

It sucked.

However, as he walked along side his mother in the halls of Seattle Grace, he couldn't help the bounce in his step. "So Tuck and I were playing with the sand…and it was so cool mommy! After we built a sandcastle, Susie knocked it down!" Ethan rambled about his day so far.

After he finished rambling, he handed her the piece of paper he had. It was a heart and bad writing of 'I love you mommy' but some of the words were spelt wrong.

But it still meant a lot to Nina. She held onto Ethan's hand as they walked towards the room that would take Ethan's blood. This would lead to so many changes in little Ethan's life. For one, he would have a dad in the picture (if he decided to be a part of his life) and Nina wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"So what are we doing mommy?" Ethan asked.

"We're going to get your blood tested," Nina replied. Her son looked confused by this information. "Come on, it'll be okay sweetie."

They reached the room. A nurse appeared to take his blood and Nina didn't move from Ethan's side. She reassured him as the nurse took his blood. Ethan tried to hold back his tears because it hurt, but he wanted to be strong for his mommy. Nina took him out for some dinner when he finished and Ethan couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.

~x~

Nina and Ethan were sitting in a meeting room. Ethan was coloring in a coloring room that Nina had gotten him. He was coloring a ducky. Nina was waiting for the results and for Mark Sloan to appear.

A moment later, the nurse appeared but still no Mark.

"Are you ready for the results?" The nurse asked.

Nina looked up at her. "I…I'm waiting for….never mind, tell me."

"Ethan Marcus Knight; mother, Nina Knight; father, Mark Sloan…"

~x~

 _Life for Nina and Mark Sloan was not that of the stories. Nina could tell that her husband (the love of her life) was cheating on her. She was standing in the woman's bathroom of Seattle Grace. Amy, her best friend, was standing outside the stall leaning against the sinks._

" _You okay in there, Nina?" Amy asked, tilting her head sideways._

 _Nina exited the stall. She was holding a stick, staring down at it. Her green eyes were saddened and more on the blue side today. She looked up, tears pooling in her eyes. Amy realized what this meant and walked over to her, pulling her into her arms._

" _Shh…." Amy murmured._

 _Nina choked on a sob. "I'm pregnant…and I think he's cheating on me, Amy…"_

~x~

Nina pushed the memory out of her head. What was supposed to be one of the most special moments of her life had been hell. She remembered going to talk to the OB/GYN about her pregnancy, to see if it was for real. She had been six weeks.

She shook away the thoughts of what had followed. That day, Nina's whole life had changed and she refused to think about it anymore. She was fine. Ethan was fine.

It was as Ethan and Nina were exiting the hospital that she heard a faint, "stop!"

Nina paused and looked around. There chasing after them was Mark. She narrowed her eyes as she crossed her arms. "What can I do for you, Doctor Sloan?" She hissed.

Mark panted gently. "Nina, I'm sorry I- I got caught up in surgery and I didn't mean…"

"Daddy!" before Nina could stop Ethan; he was already running into Mark's arms and burying his face into Mark's stomach. "I knew you had to know my daddy! And look, it's you!"

Mark was shocked. He looked up at Nina, staring at her. "I'm his dad…?"

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **Before and After**_ : Mark must learn to be a father. Nina relives the worst memory of all, and somebody she least expecting shows up at Seattle Grace with Addison Montgomery, she must now face more of the past than she's ready for.

 **I'm assuming you all knew Mark was Ethan's dad? Well, now it's on paper and true! And did anyone catch Ethan's middle name? Yes, Marcus! Somebody couldn't help herself, huh? Poor Nina :( AND ADDIE IS COMING TO SEATTLE GRACE! Who's excited?!**

 **Who do you think is going to be appearing at the hospital next chapter, anyway? ;)**

 **Nerdy~**

 **REVIEW PLEASE!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's nor do I own the song. Enjoy! Though I do suggest listening to** _ **I hate you, I love you**_ **by Gnash**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **TheSilverWolff**_ : Thank you so much for your review! :D I enjoy the ship name too, finally they have one! Gah! Mina forever man *heart*  
 _ **h**_ : Finally someone who understands! Lexie was too perky for me, but not like Izzie perky. Nobody is that perky. Anyway, you'll have to read this chapter to find out who shows up ;) _ **  
mandyg67**_ : Thank you :) I think it's very cute that Ethan was the one to tell Mark. We'll see how Mark handles it ;)  
 _ **Leah Tatyana Nicole**_ : Yes poor Nina. But don't worry; things are going to look up for her soon. I mean, come on, she has Ethan for a son ;) What can't be fixed with that cutie?

 **~x~**

Chapter 8: Before and After

~x~

 _ **I hate you I love you**_

 _ **I hate that I want you**_

 _ **Don't want to, but I can't put**_

 _ **Nobody else above you**_

 _ **I hate you I love you**_

 _ **I hate that I want you**_

 _ **You want her, you need her**_

 _ **And I'll never be her**_

~x~

 _Nina choked on a sob. "I'm pregnant…and I think he's cheating on me, Amy…"_

 _Amy hugged her friend, rubbing her back gently. She couldn't help but feel bad for her. Nina and Amy were in their third year of residency. Mark and Nina had been married for two years. "How do you know that?"_

" _He's never home," She stumbled over her words because of her cries of pain. "A-and…I found panties in the laundry…"_

" _Were they yours?" Amy asked._

 _Nina shook her head. "I've never seen them before! Oh god…he's cheating on me! My husband's cheating on me and I'm_ _ **pregnant**_ _!"_

 _She broke into another fit of tears and sobs._

~x~

Ethan was standing beside Nina, holding onto her hand with excitement in his eyes. After work, Mark was taking Nina and Ethan out for dinner. She had gruffly agreed after the hopeful glaze on her from Ethan. He held onto his mom's hand, literally holding back squeals of happiness.

"Where's daddy, mommy? When do we get to hang out with daddy?" Ethan asked.

Since finding out that Mark was his father, all Ethan seemed to be interested anymore was Mark. She looked down at her son and let out a small sigh. "He's working baby boy, remember? Daddy works on people's faces and helps their skin." She said, trying not to trash on Mark anymore. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't. She loved him too much. "We'll see daddy after daycare, remember honey? Daddy said he'd bring us out to dinner."

Ethan squealed. "Do you think daddy would like a picture?"

She nodded. "Of course he would,"

She watched as a brighter smile spread across her son's face. Ethan skipped down the hall, holding onto his mom's hand when they reached the daycare. She knelt before him and said goodbye. She kissed his cheeks and forehead, earning a giggle and a sloppy kiss from Ethan.

After this, Nina watched Ethan skip into the daycare and go straight for Tuck Bailey. She left for work.

~x~

Nina had been asked by Izzie Stevens to be a part of her stupid game, however, she had agreed since she figured it'd only help the interns. She was walking down the hall, face bowed as she wrote on a chart. She was ignoring a lot of people as she walked, expecting to be attacked by one of the interns soon.

She nearly ran into Mark Sloan instead.

"Opps! Sorry!" She squeaked, her charts falling out of her arms and she bent to pick them up. Mark bent over to help her and when their eyes met, she couldn't help but get lost in them. They were so blue today and Nina did get lost in them.

"Its fine," Mark replied, he too getting lost in her green eyes.

Once she had collected her charts once more and then they stood up. She set the binders on the nurses' station which was right there. "Are we still on for tonight? Because I hear Addison is in town…"

Mark swallowed at the thought. "Addie isn't interested in me, Nina."

"So? It doesn't mean you aren't interested…and this is a once in a blue moon chance to spend time with her." Nina pointed out. She had heard from people how rarely Addison came up from LA. "Are we still on for tonight? Ethan's excited."

Mark knew how rare it was that Addison came up to Seattle anymore, however, he was already stuck between two women, and he didn't need to add another to the mix. And he needed to figure how to be a proper father to Ethan. So yes, he didn't have any time for Addie, no matter how much he convinced himself that he loved her. "Yes, we're on for tonight."

Nina nodded and spotted Lexie Grey coming up. She rolled her eyes as Lexie skipped over.

"Find Doctor Sloan and get him to tell you his symptoms." Lexie said in a flirty voice.

It nearly made Nina gag. She turned back to her paperwork, wishing she could have an intern do this. She could hand it off to a resident, but she knew the residents were too "busy" to do such things. She half listened as Mark rambled off his symptoms.

Nina noted that he didn't flirt back with Lexie. Did this mean that the perfect two were broken up? She hoped so.

She was sick of walking into the hospital and seeing the two of them together. She shook off the jealous feeling the best she could, and half listened as Lexie answered the question correctly. Nina watched out of the corner of her eye as Lexie scurried off.

George spoke rudely to another intern, Sadie, who was standing nearby. She laughed gently as she watched George hand Mark another card before running off.

Nina looked over at Mark. "Did flirting with your little intern get boring again?"

Mark rolled his eyes. "I'm learning to be a dad, and I know Lexie doesn't want to be held down by that. She's told me as much. She hates that I have a kid with you…" He sighed. "And she wants to go public. I can't. So we broke it off. Problem, Doctor Knight?"

"Not at all, Doctor Sloan," She replied.

She left him standing there as she went to check on her very few patients.

~x~

It was as she was passing by a table that she first noticed her. Nina was content with eating her lunch alone or possibly with Richard Webber or Arizona Robbins. Arizona was young and very beautiful; however, she was smart and friendly. She didn't complain about Nina's choices in life and the two women got along very well. And Richard had been her teacher once upon a time, and he had asked her to come down here. Of course she spent time with him.

Nina however, spotted a very tall redhead sitting with Doctor Torres, and realized who she was after hearing her name.

Addison.

Was she _the_ Addison Shepherd?

From what Nina could see Addison looked very stressed out. She stared at the redhead who was talking to Callie with a heavy heart. It was as Nina was staring at Addie that another woman walked over. Her dark brown hair was lightly curled and going down her back in waves, going down mid-back. She was slightly tan, curvy and small. However, without looking at her face, Nina knew who she was.

"Callie, this is my good friend Carly O'Connor. Carly works at my practice in LA." Addison explained, smiling as she looked up at the brunette.

Carly sat down and grinned. "Doctor Callie Torres, Orthopedic Surgeon," Callie introduced herself.

"Doctor Carly O'Connor, Pediatric Oncologist," Carly replied smiling. "Or as my patients say 'the kid cancer doctor/surgeon'."

Nina stood frozen, staring at the new doctor at Seattle Grace. She was horrified to see her sister after so long.

Yes, Carly O'Connor was Nina's sister…..she was also the one who Nina caught sleeping with her husband.

~x~

 _Amy had dropped Nina off at her place, the small girl trembling with fear. She was ready to face her husband and question all these things she had thought she had found. She needed answers from Mark. She waved off to Amy, who was driving her small jeep away after a call of 'good luck'._

 _Nina would need it._

 _After watching the jeep roll away, the young woman turned to face the door. Their small crappy apartment was on the third floor of their crappy building. She never understood why they didn't move but Nina liked this place. It was theirs._

 _And she had sort of lost her virginity here._

 _Swallowing back any bale that was rising up in her throat, Nina walked up to the door and opened it with her key. It didn't take her long to get to her apartment door. It was like it was taunting her. Nina swallowed thickly as she reached forward and tried the door._

 _It was unlocked._

 _She pushed it open and stepped inside. The apartment looked just as she had left it this morning but something wasn't right. Their shoes were in the same place, their extra blankets on the couch and their jackets messily thrown into their closest. Nina closed the door utterly confused. What was wrong? Why wasn't this feeling right to her?_

 _Nina heard noises coming from the bedroom. She assumed Mark was in there. Tucked away in her purse, Nina had put together something to surprise Mark with the news._

 _Two baby outfits (one pink and the other blue) with fancy writing saying "Future Surgeon" in bold lettering. She put them in a small box with a positive pregnancy test at the bottom. She slipped her shoes off and started to move further into the apartment._

 _A squeak caused Nina to tilt her head in confusion. What was that noise? She looked around when she spotted a strange jacket on the floor. But it didn't connect in her brain. Instead, she started noticing things that weren't right. Like disregarded pieces of clothes and shoes…_

 _She moved closer to the bedroom, where she was sure Mark was hiding. What exactly was her husband doing to cause so much noise?_

 _Her stomach tightened on its own and Nina felt sick. It was as she slowly pushed open the door that she knew she should have just left instead of going to find out what Mark was doing. But it was too late because there it was in the open._

 _Her forest green eyes locked upon Mark laying on their bed, in their bed sheets that she really liked with a woman on top of him._

 _The woman was bouncing on top of him and the sounds of pleasure filled the room. Nina was rooted in place, staring with a horrified glaze on the couple. Mark was the first one to notice her._

" _Oh shit! Nina!" He gulped, pushing the woman off him._

 _The woman turned and the wave of brown hair turned and locked eyes upon Nina. Hazel eyes from Nina's father locked onto Nina's green eyes from her mother. Tears flooded Nina's eyes as she stared at the one and only….Carly O'Connor, her younger sister._

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **An Honest Mistake**_ : Nina is horrified to be faced with her sister. The Chief approaches Carly with an offer as the Head of Oncology. Mark is faced with a crying Nina, a confused Ethan, and a jealous Lexie Grey.

 **Not much Mark. I promise there should be more of him soon! And yes, Carly is at Seattle Grace! How will Nina deal with this as well as dealing with her feelings for Mark? Next chapter there will be a lot of Nina/Mark/Carly. ;)**

 **What did you think of the memory? Carly is owned by my friend who gave me Carly's personality and appearance. Carly is owned by** _ **just . another . angel1**_ **(just remove the spaces) and I can't wait to see where this leads us! And why Nina is so mad at Mark is in the open. How does that affect us all? More information about Carly is sure to come!**

 **AND MARK AND NINA HAVE AN OFFICIAL SHIP NAME! Mina! *heart, heart, heart***

 **Nerdy~**

 **PLEASE REVIEW *heart***


	9. Chapter 9

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy. But I do own Nina and Ethan. Carly? Not so much**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **TheSilverWolff:**_ Hey! Welcome back ;) And yes, Carly. Sorry that you're upset, she'll be here for awhile xD ENJOY!  
 _ **Guest**_ : How is it confusing? _**  
Leah Tatyana Nicole**_ : Yeah? I agree, but maybe you'll start to like her later on…  
 _ **h**_ : It broke MY heart to write it out, ya know? I was literally ready to cry as I was writing it. I felt so bad! Things will hopefully look up, am I right?  
 _ **just . another . angel1**_ : You're the only one who's excited about Carly haha I love it! And you shouldn't be waking up at like 1 AM just to read the chapters xD they aren't going anywhere, now are they? Nope!  
 _ **Mrs. Donald Flack Jr**_ : Yay! I've converted another Slexie fan into a Mina fan! *dances around happily* I'm so glad you like Nina because I'm trying to keep her as real as possible, to make it so people can relate easily to her, ya know? :) Enjoy this chapter!

 **~x~**

Chapter 9: An Honest Mistake

~x~

It was the day after Nina had spotted Carly in the cafeteria at the hospital. She hadn't been able to focus on work and had left the hospital. It hurt to think that her sister had come back to finish what she had started so long ago. Carly had always been jealous of Nina.

It was why she had decided to sleep with Mark, Nina knew. Mark was a very handsome man so why wouldn't Carly take the chance to both steal Mark from Nina _and_ get sex out of it? The only thing that confused Nina though, was that Carly was married. She had been since she was nineteen.

Nina faintly remembered Carly's husband. His name was Lucas O'Connor or Luke. They had met when they were both still in high school when they were seventeen, began dating at eighteen and then were married at nineteen. Carly loved Luke. Nina knew that much. Especially because when Carly was twenty-three, she had her first child Michael. Though, that had been a year after Nina split from Mark because Carly slept with him…

She shook the thought from her head. Her sister didn't matter.

"Hey mommy, are we going to daycare today?" Ethan said, sounding excited about the day. Nina nodded and dropped her son off at daycare, telling him that she loved him and then she went to begin her day.

It was she was heading to check the board on her patients that she first spotted Addison that morning. Addison was speaking with Derek about a patient. Nina watched the man storm off and she knew she had to speak with Addison. So she stormed over to her. "Why exactly did you bring her here?"

"Who?" Addison was confused. "And who are you?"

"I'm Nina, Nina Knight," Nina replied annoyed that Addison didn't know who she was. "Why did you bring _her_?"

"Carly or Naomi?" Addison asked. "Because I don't think it concerns you."

"It does when she broke up my marriage!" The two women stared at each other, though, Nina was glaring at Addison. Addison looked shocked by this.

Addison shook her head, "No…Cars wouldn't do that. She's happily married to Luke…"

Nina rolled her eyes. "When she was twenty-two, she cheated on her husband and slept with mine. If you don't believe me, ask Mark Sloan." She turned and stormed off.

~x~

Mark was finishing up some research for one of his patients that he had. He was finally getting back to his usual amount of OR time because his penis was fully healed, thanks to Owen Hunt and Nina. He called onto one of his intern minions, and handed them the paperwork, telling them that they were doing this.

He stood up and decided to grab a coffee. Later that evening, he was having Nina and Ethan over. He was excited.

"Mark Sloan!"

He looked up, finding Addison storming over towards him. "Addie?" he questioned the furious redhead. "What's wrong?"

"Why didn't you tell me you slept with one of my best friends?"

"I've never slept with Naomi!" Mark defended himself, "I would remember that! And isn't she with Archer?"

Addison rolled her eyes, "No, not Na! I'm talking about Cars." She stared at his confused expression. "Carly."

"Doesn't ring a bell," Mark shrugged.

"Nina Knight's sister?" Addison tried.

"Shit," He cursed. "Is…is Carly here?"

She nodded slowly. "And what's the matter with that…?"

Mark turned to stare at her. "Addie, Carly hates Nina. It's why she slept with me, to punish her perfect sister! So this means there's a world war coming if those two find each other!" He took off running, trying to find Nina or Carly before either woman found the other.

~x~

"Doctor O'Connor?"

Carly was bent over, reaching into a vending machine to get something to eat. She grabbed her bag of chips and stood up straight. "Chief?" She replied, turning to face Richard Webber. She smiled weakly at the older man, wondering what she could do for him. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Could I speak with you?" Richard asked. She blinked. "About a possible position at Seattle Grace?" he added.

She saw no reason why not. "Sure, but I don't know if I should. My husband and I live in LA…"

Richard smiled at her. "And what does your husband do?"

Carly smirked slightly, "He's a Trauma Surgeon, sir."

~x~

Nina was pissed. The nurses were gossiping about some new surgeons joining the staff. She had caught the names 'Carly', 'O'Connor' and 'Lucas'. She knew right away that the Chief couldn't pass up Carly. She was the best in her field. If he could get her, he'd have nearly every speciality covered with the best surgeons in their fields. It was only natural.

But, she was still pissed.

She stood beside one Arizona Robbins, a woman Nina spoke to and was sharing a case with. They were both standing at the Peds' nurses' station, talking about their patient. While, Arizona was talking, Nina's anger was boiling. How could the chief offer Carly a position at this hospital?

"You okay, Nin?" Arizona asked.

Nina nodded, before pausing and then shook her head. "No, I'm not okay. The Chief has decided to bring my no good sister here and ask her if she wants a job as a Head! How fair is that? I'm gonna have to deal with her all the time," Nina scowled.

Arizona fully faced Nina. "Why aren't you on good terms with your sister?"

She faced the blonde woman. "I'd say I consider you a friend, Arizona. And that woman, she is not to be trusted. She became so jealous of me that she stole my husband and slept with him!"

"Oh!" Arizona felt stupid for not piecing it together sooner. Nina sighed heavily and shook her head. "And you haven't spoken to the chief yet?"

Nina shook her head. "I've spoken with him, explained it all. He said that he couldn't pass up on her. Both her and her husband- yes she's married- are some of the best in their fields. Well, she's the best in her field and Luke isn't so far behind in his own. But that's beside the point," She shook her head. "He says it isn't anything personal but he needs to look out for his hospital. He couldn't say no to at least offering."

"So it's all true?" Arizona said in shock. "He's hiring her?"

Nina nodded. "From what I understand, he's just waiting for her to call Luke and confirm that he's cool with moving down here."

"Well, at least it's going to be much more interesting, eh?"

"You sound Canadian."

~x~

Nina was ready to just go home and cry. It was as she was heading to pick up Ethan that Mark found her. He gulped, staring at her. "Nina-"

"I don't want to talk to you right now, Mark." She replied tiredly. "I'm stressed out and I'm ready to cry. Not only has Carly decided to start working here, but she's bringing her husband here. Her family is going to be here, Mark. How can I look at her? She's always been so jealous of me and now I'm forced to work with her! Not only do I have to deal with Carly drama, but your little intern has been giving me a hard time for days now. Call her off!"

Mark was stunned. He didn't realize just how upset Nina was becoming. Tears flooded her eyes and he reached for her, wrapping his arms around her. She wasn't sure why, but she slowly fell into his arms. She began to cry and all he could do was try to comfort her. "Shh…"

Nina buried her face into Mark's tender embrace and she cried. She sobbed into his chest, her hold on him tightening as her emotions get the better of her. "I-I don't w-want her here…" She mumbled.

Mark nodded as he rubbed her back. "Shh….things are going to work out. You have friends here, who care so deeply about you, and they won't leave your side Nina."

"You were my husband and you still chose her."

~x~

Carly was enjoying today. She had gotten a huge job position at one of the best teaching hospitals in the country. She knew she'd be a fool to pass this up. And she had gotten a job for her husband, Luke.

Her kids would be fine. Michael was six now so he was going to school (though it was summer right now so he'd go to the daycare). After school, Carly was sure Michael could go home (when the time comes) or she could find a babysitter for the afternoons. Her daughter, Ariana, just turned four, so she could go to the hospital daycare. Things would work out; Carly could already see it coming together.

The kids would be taken care, so would her husband….things were coming together and it made her grin. It was just a huge bonus that her dreadful, know-it-all older sister was here and Carly knew what her presence would do to Nina. It was going to be fine.

~x~

 _ **A week later**_

Finally, things were looking even better. Carly's family had flown up from LA to Seattle. They had found a small three bedroom house and had slowly begun to unpack. Today was Carly's and Luke's first day at work.

Carly kissed her husband goodbye who was already being paged by Doctor Hunt. Some big trauma was coming in so Carly was left to look after Ariana. She dropped her daughter off and then went to meet her co-worker, Arizona Robbins.

~x~

Ethan sat at one of the coloring tables, planted in a chair beside his dad. He liked having a dad, it was really nice. Ethan at the moment was practicing writing his name and other words.

For example: _mommy_ , _daddy_ , _family_ , and _I love you_.

His dad was teaching him. Ethan looked up at his dad and he smiled brightly. "How's this?" He asked showing off the messily written words that was supposed to say _I love mommy_ and _I love daddy_.

Mark praised his son. "Good job buddy, keep going. You're getting really good,"

Ethan beamed with pride as he returned to what he was doing. He only had to pause when one of his caretakers informed the group that two new kids were there. Ethan looked over lazily and spotted a tiny four year old girl and a small seven year old boy. She waved shyly. Ethan stared at the girl with surprise.

The boy looked bored.

The girl had bright hazel eyes and soft blonde hair. She was short, barely reached Ethan's shoulder if even that, and when she smiled, he noted that she was missing a few teeth. The boy looked similar to the girl, however his hair was dark brown and his hazel eyes were more on the green side. Ethan turned back to what he was doing, ignoring the girl and boy. He was spending time with his daddy.

"Are you a doctor?"

Ethan and Mark faced the small girl. Mark nodded. "Why yes I am."

"My mommy and daddy are doctors." The girl said, "My name's Ariana. What's yours?"

"Ethan," He replied nervously.

Ariana beamed. She sat down even though Ethan didn't want her to. "I wanna color with you."

Mark smiled, "Who are your mom and dad?"

"Daddy says his name is Doctor O'Connor at work. Mommy says she goes by Doctor O'Connor-Knight, because people get confused on which one is which, even though mommy works with kids and daddy works on people who get hurt." Ariana explained.

And then it clicked. This little girl was Carly's kid. And she had made friends with her cousin, unknowingly. Nina would not be pleased.

~x~

"Keep your kid away my kid!"

"I can't stop her from making friends!"

Nina and Carly were arguing. After hearing from Mark that Carly's daughter, Ariana, was trying to befriend Ethan, she had raged at him for letting Ethan even look at the girl. Ethan was almost seven and would be in grade two in the fall. Ethan was also a few months older than Michael, his cousin.

"I don't want my kid anywhere near your kids!" Nina said scowling.

"How mature of you, Nina! Ariana and Michael can make friends with whoever they want! Besides, they're cousins! Aren't cousins supposed to be friends with each other?!" Carly shouted back at Nina.

Nina's face flushed with anger. "Not when their mother is a goddamn slut and can't keep her legs closed!"

Carly was appalled by Nina's words, "Take that back!"

"NO!" She shouted. "I won't take back it because it's all true!" Before Nina could throw the first punch, Mark found them and pulled Nina away. "Let me get her Mark! Let me punch her face in!"

Mark shook his head. "You'll lose your job,"

Nina scowled further. "I can't let her get away with this, Mark please!"

He led her away as Carly stood there, smirking now as the couple walked to the Attending's lounge. Nina was not a happy camper.

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **I Will Follow You Into The Dark**_ : Carly and Nina continue to butt heads. Nina is getting to the point where she leans into Mark for support. Mark tries again and asks Nina out to dinner- a dinner without Ethan.

 **Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) I was a little unsure how to write it out, but it worked out in the end, eh? You got to see a little bit about how Carly is as a character. What do you think of her? If you have no idea where this is anymore, I've gotten to the point where Izzie believes she has cancer. And Derek is no longer working at the hospital (for now). Anyway, please review!**

 **Nerdy~**

 **REVIEW *heart* the more reviews, the longer the chapter will be ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: I still don't own Grey's… *sigh***

 **Reviews:**

 _ **TheSilverWolff**_ : The moment when Lucas finds out about Carly will surely come. A Luke/Carly chapter/moment will be coming soon. Trust me, it'll happen and maybe you'll change your mind ;) I hope you enjoy the Mina moment in this chapter because I enjoyed writing it! And, I suggest you listen to " _What's Love got to do with it?"_ By Tina Turner  
 _ **Patsy**_ : This isn't a main Derek/Meredith story. They are on the side, but they will be there. I'll have a moment for them I'm sure soon.  
 _ **Leah Tatyana Nicole**_ : I'm sure a lot of readers would LOVE to see Nina punch Carly in the face. And it may come to that, but do you want Nina to teach innocent Ethan that violence is okay? ;)  
 _ **Random2Friends**_ : Nina was asked by Richard to take the position as Head of Cardio. He needed someone after Erica left. And we'll see more of Luke/Carly soon!  
 _ **h**_ : You aren't meant to be in love with Carly's character. But you weren't supposed to love Alex's either at first. Some characters grow on you. And no, Luke doesn't know about Carly's affair. So of course, naturally, it'll come out ;) It always does at Seattle Grace! And I'm playing with that idea, honestly. Should Mark be Michael's dad? I haven't decided. But who knows with me? ;) ENJOY!

 **~x~**

Chapter 10: I Will Follow You Into The Dark

~x~

It had been a week so far of Carly working at Seattle Grace. Not only was it frustrating and a problem, but Nina was forced to work with her. She had a patient, a young eight-year-old boy who was having problems breathing because of a tumor he had on his aorta. Nina's patient, a young boy by the name of James, had been in surgery a lot of times. Because of the place of the tumor, Nina had to repeatedly open him up and remove small parts of the tumor so he could breathe.

To keep fighting the tumor, James was doing Chemo and now was working with child specialist, Carly O'Connor.

Nina entered the room with her 'favorite' resident, Cristina Yang. James was playing with his mother Nancy by coloring on some paper a nurse had given him. "Nina!" James shouted upon seeing Nina. She smiled and walked over to him, James throwing his arms around her neck hugging her. "Are you opening me up today?"

"That's the plan," Nina said smiling as she stepped back before turning to Cristina. "You're presenting, right?"

Cristina nodded, her interns watching with excitement in their eyes. They always liked working with Nina because she always forced Cristina to let at least one intern work in the OR. "James Walker, eight-years-old, here because of Cardiac Fibrosarcomas. Today, we will be going in to remove more of the tumor to relieve some pressure on James' heart so that he can breathe."

James listened before looking at Nina. "Nina, can you remove it all this time? I'm so tired. I wanna be able to run down the beach without my momma worrying that I'm going to die because my heart beats too much and causes it to go into shock. So please, will you remove it all?"

Nina swallowed. "James, I don't…I don't think that's wise. Because it's on your aorta, if I cut too close I could damage the vessel beyond repair." She tried to explain.

"Chemo makes me sick," James also added. "I don't want to do it anymore. I wanna be like a normal boy, please try? I don't want to be in a hospital all the time."

Nina sighed. She looked to James' mother, Nancy. "I can try to do this, but I'd need your consent."

"James isn't happy living like this," Nancy said sadly, "So if you can do this and stop his cancer from coming back…I'd be so happy."

"He could die," Nina said quietly.

Nancy's eyes filled with tears. "I know…but he suffers so much. It's better to take the risk than to let him suffer, right? If you do this and he survives, will his cancer come back?"

"I believe the number is about 5% chance that it'll come back." Nina said softly.

"Then do it, remove it all…if James does die, than at least we tried and he won't suffer anymore." Nancy said confidently.

After leaving the Walkers' room, Nina turned to Cristina and her interns. "Find everything you can on this type of operation. Also, call UNO's. Maybe they can find a heart if James' is too damaged. Go!"

Cristina and her interns scurried off. Nina sighed and ran a hand through her hair, feeling drained. It was then that Carly appeared, her hair ruffled from likely having sex. It made Nina gag and scowl.

"I'm here for rounds," Carly said.

"You missed it; we already have a plan of attack." Nina replied, her hands turning into fists. How she wanted to beat this woman into the ground!

Carly frowned, "Without consulting me? I'm his doctor too!"

"A doctor that couldn't bring herself to be there for rounds to talk about treatment," Nina said coldly. "Besides, he was fine without you before you came to Seattle Grace. He just needs me." She walked away.

"I'm going to the Chief with this!" Carly shouted after Nina. Nina flipped her "sister" off.

~x~

Lunch rolled around and Nina found herself standing in Mark's office. She wasn't sure why she was there, but she was, pacing as she complained to him. Mark, god love him, sat in his chair and listened to her. "Where does she get off on telling me how to take care of _my patient_? I've been treating him since he was born!" Nina scowled as she paced in front of the man.

Mark watched her pace. "I don't know, Nina."

"And then she thinks she has the right to tell me I'm wrong? She went to the Chief! As a doctor, I have the right to listen to what my patient wants. Yes, the surgery is risky but isn't every surgery risky?" Nina complained. "His mom and he both want me to do this. They don't want anymore surgeries. So it's my job as a doctor to do this, right?"

He nodded. "Nina, could you stop pacing? You're gonna hurt yourself."

She sighed and leaned against the wall, her eyes closing and she looked just so unsure of herself. She opened her green eyes and looked straight at Mark. "Am I being too immature? I just want her to suffer like I have and I don't want her here. I feel like things are finally going well, especially for Ethan." Nina explained.

Mark wasn't sure what the right choices of words were. He could agree and say she was immature, and then get yelled at. Or he could just say that she was right and risk getting yelled at. It was painfully obvious that Nina was confused on how to deal with her sister. "I don't want her here either,"

"Why?" Nina asked, turning to stare at him, "Worried you'll fall for her tricks again and end up sleeping with her? Wouldn't want to hurt little Grey, now would we?"

"That's low Nina," Mark said frowning.

She pushed off the wall. She was lashing out and turned to leave the room. "So was sleeping with my sister,"

~x~

Yes, Nina felt like she had been a bitch to Mark. She however, couldn't do anything about it because Carly kept putting her in a bad mood. As Nina was finishing her lunch with Arizona, listening the petit blonde talk about how great she felt Miranda Bailey would be for Peds. Nina could see it but she felt like Miranda Bailey was meant for General.

As the girls chatted, Mark stood off at the far end of the lunch room, grabbing his food. Once he had it, he walked over and took a seat beside Nina and across from Arizona. Both women turned to look at him.

"Hey Nina, could I ask you something?" Mark asked.

"You already did," Nina teased, "But go ahead. What can I do for you? If it's that sleepover thing, no, because Ethan doesn't know you well enough for it to happen. Not yet, okay?"

Mark shook his head, "No, not that. I was actually wondering if you'd be interested in going out to dinner with me tonight? I figure you'll be tired and hungry from your surgery…"

"Um…" Nina was surprised.

Mark was getting uncomfortable. "If you don't want to-"

"Sure," Nina said unsure why she was agreeing, "As long as there isn't any funny business. Hear me, Sloan?"

He nodded and a smile spread across his face. "You won't regret it,"

Nina's pager went off. "Shoot! I've gotta go, surgery in ten." She stood, threw out her lunch and took off running towards the OR.

~x~

Nina stood in front of the window, watching as her OR was set just as she liked it. People moved around perfectly and she couldn't help but nod. She washed her hands thinking about little Ethan. Would she be able to be as strong as Nancy? Could she be able to let Ethan go if he got sick, because he was suffering?

She didn't think so. She loved Ethan too much for him to just go. She turned when she heard the door open and Cristina entered the scrub room. Behind Cristina was Lexie Grey.

"I picked three because she showed the most potential." Cristina explained as she too stepped up to scrub in.

Nina always found it amusing when Cristina called her interns numbers. "Fine, but she doesn't come near the table." Nina replied before she entered her OR. Lexie looked ready to complain but Cristina shushed her.

The Cardio surgeon let the nurses gown her as she looked at the table. Young James was already out and ready for her. She felt terrible knowing that she had this little boy's life yet again in her hands. She stepped forward and waited for Cristina to appear.

Yang stepped in a few minutes later, ready and gowned. Lexie was standing nearby, ready to watch and take notes which worked just fine for Nina. If she couldn't control Carly, at least she could control Lexie.

"Let's change some lives, people!" Nina said before holding out her hand. "Ten blade,"

Once her favorite scrub nurse Tyler passed the scalpel to Nina, she took the blade and pressed it against James' chest. Then, slowly she slid it down and made an opening. She handed the scalpel over and then cracked James' chest. It broke her heart, but she pushed through and tried to ignore the fact that this boy could die and just who he was. He was just a patient.

And she was just a surgeon.

~x~

Nina could feel the way the tears pooled in her eyes. She had lost James. She had done everything right, textbook perfection. She had done nothing wrong.

But, James' heart couldn't take anymore. He was too weak and he just didn't come off bypass.

She scrubbed out and then went to find Nancy. She found the mother waiting beside another woman who Nina knew was Katherine, Nancy's sister. Beside Katherine was Katherine's husband Stefan, and sitting on the other side of Nancy was her new boyfriend Drew. Drew loved James, Nina knew that. Drew was like James' real dad, even though James' real dad baled.

Nancy spotted Nina and stood. Drew, Katherine and Stefan followed and stood as well. Nina walked over. "Can I go see him?" Nancy asked her eyes hopeful.

Nina swallowed. Cristina was standing a few feet behind her, ready to support Nina if she needed it. _You're an attending, you can do this._ Nina thought. "Nancy, there…there were complications. James' heart had suffered too much and became too dependent on bypass. He didn't come off bypass."

Each word seemed to cut Nancy more. Tears filled the woman's eyes, as she realized she would never get to see her eight-year-old boy alive again. Nancy faced her boyfriend and fell into his arms, sobs raking her body.

Nina swallowed. "He went peacefully, Nancy. He…he loved you and you know that. He wanted this…" Nina tried to explain. "I can bring you to see his…to see him."

Nancy nodded weakly. Nina turned to Cristina to let her go, before she led the now grieving family to the morgue.

~x~

When her shift was over, Nina pulled Ethan into her arms and held him close. She brought him home and held him in her arms for some time. Ethan didn't question it nor did he complain. He loved being in his mother's arms.

Ethan had put on _The Magic School bus_ , letting his mom hold him while he watched. His daddy would be coming over later and bringing dinner, but his mom had said he was going to be a little late because he was in surgery. He didn't mind.

There was a knock on the door. Nina pulled away from Ethan, kissed his head and then went to answer the door. She opened it and found Mark standing on the other side, some Thai food in hand for Nina and some hamburgers for the guys. Nina stared at Mark in surprise before stepping aside, letting him in. She hadn't been able to admit to him just what had happened.

Richard was furious once he had learned that James had died. Not only was he furious, he was siding slightly with Carly. The original plan was keeping him alive, and now? Now the boy was dead.

Nina closed the door behind Mark who went to set the food down on the counter. "DADDY!" Ethan shouted, rushing over to greet his father. Nina had never seen him so excited before, and this new light in him made her smile. She liked how happy Mark made her boy. But if he hurt him, he was dead. "You came! You came! Mommy said you'd be awhile 'cause you was in surgery! But now you're here!"

Mark picked up Ethan and spun him around, before hugging him. Ethan giggled and laughed, enjoying the closeness.

"Yes little man, I'm here. And I brought your favorite burger. Cheese burger and just ketchup," Mark explained, knowing what his boy liked.

"No pickles or onions?" Ethan questioned, " _Or_ mustard?"

Mark nodded. "None," He brought out Ethan's two cheese burgers. "You can check if you'd like."

Ethan's smile spread across his face, similar to the Cheshire Cat. "I trust you daddy!" He took the burgers and thanked Mark. He opened them to check. Mark had made sure the burgers were correct. He dug right in.

Mark turned to Nina. "You didn't have to get me Thai," Nina replied, knowing Mark disliked Thai.

He paused as he grabbed a plate and dished out Nina's food. "I know you don't like fast-food, especially burgers." He stated, earning a strange look from Nina. "What? Do you seriously think I'd bring home food I know you hate?"

Nina was shocked that Mark even remembered. She blushed and thanked him as she picked up her fork and dug in her own food. "Thank you,"

"No problem," Mark smiled at her and began to eat his chicken burgers.

Ethan finished his first burger first. "Can we play _Sorry_ after dinner? Please?" He begged his parents.

"Sure," Nina replied and Mark only nodded, not minding to play.

"Sure kiddo," Mark added.

Ethan beamed. After a dinner as a family, filled with Ethan's stories about daycare with Tucker, before Ethan ran to his room to grab the board game.

"Nina, are you okay?" Mark asked, turning to look at the brunette.

She blinked as she cleaned up. "What do you mean?"

"I heard about your patient," Mark stated.

She shrugged. "He wanted the surgery. I preformed it and he didn't come off bypass. What's there to talk about? And he wasn't my son. So I can't be upset."

He moved forward and wrapped his arms around her, slightly awkwardly. "How long were you his doctor?"

Nina looked up at him. Green met blue, and both lost each other in the other's eyes. "Since he was diagnosed," She admitted. "He was five."

He smiled sadly. "It's natural to be sad when someone you care about dies,"

She held back crying. She knew that Ethan would know if she was crying, so she held it back. Unknowingly to the couple, Ethan was standing near the hallway watching his parents in the kitchen. He was now holding his mom's phone. She had left it on the coffee table.

Ethan unlocked the phone and pulled up YouTube. He knew what song he liked, and he pressed play.

 _What's Love got to do With It?_ By Tina Turner filled the room, at a soft hum. The adults didn't even seem to notice.

He smiled at the sight of his parents before he slipped back into his room, holding the _Sorry_ box and decided he'd watch some TV in his room.

Nina stared up at Mark, not noticing the music. "Mark, what if…what if it wasn't James? What if it had been Ethan?"

Mark shook his head. "It wasn't Ethan. And James is in a better place, Nina. You did what he wanted."

"What if he was scared? What if he regrets it?" Nina asked confused. She sounded like she was in pain. "What if he wants to be with his mom?"

"He chose to do this," Mark stressed. "And it wasn't your fault. But shh…it's going to be okay." He began to rock her gently, somehow falling into tune with the music playing in the background. He kissed her forehead, not realizing it.

Nina slipped back into the past. She buried her face into his chest and let her body move against his. It was slow and wasn't really dancing, just rocking, but they liked it. It worked for them. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of Mark's heartbeat. When they had been married, she loved listening to his heart and to fall asleep to it. Slowly, Nina pulled her face away from his chest and their eyes locked once more.

And then slowly, Mark leaned forward and Nina leaned closer as well, both their eyes falling shut and then their lips touched.

~x~

 **Up Next** : _**Stand By Me**_ : Mark and Nina deal with the aftermath of their kiss. Nina is awkward and doesn't want to acknowledge the kiss and Mark wants to dig more into their possible relationship. He wants them to be Mina again (a nickname Amy came up) and Nina doesn't want to get hurt again.

 **Hey guys! How are you all? I just spent my weekend at my church doing a thing called THINKfast and I went 24 hours fasting (which means no eating). But that is besides the point.**

 **What did you think of this chapter? And the Mark/Nina kiss? That was out of the blue, honestly! My muse decided that she needed it!**

 **And someone asked for Meredith/Derek, well, I will be doing them but they are on the side. This is mainly a Mark/OC fic. But trust me, the chapter will come! There will be some Izzie moments, Cristina/Nina (like professional/mentor/student), and Derek/Mark (friendship wise) moments as well.**

 **Anyway, please review!**

 **Nerdy~**

 **PS: REVIEW! More reviews = longer chapters!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: I still don't own Grey's… *sigh***

 **AN: I messed up last chapter. It says Nina started treating James when he was born. That isn't true. He was five when he starts going to Nina, and it feels like she's known him since he was born, okay? Just clearing this up! Also, because I'm updating earlier, it's my March break so I will. Long, lovely reviews will equal early updates and more of them. So have the reviews roll in and I shall provide extra chapters ;) AND, I'm taking suggestions for things you'd all like to see! So let me know what you'd like to see!**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **Leah Tatyana Nicole**_ : True, but still. Carly had another plan to help James and Nina ignored this. But I'm glad you loved it! Enjoy!  
 _ **h**_ : I don't think I will. I made it so the timelines don't match up. Michael's parentage will be relieved soon though. ;) And yes, Ethan picking the song was pretty cute, am I right? Enjoy this chapter!  
 _ **TheSilverWolff**_ : Because of your lovely review, I shall update early! Enjoy seriously! You've earned it :)

~x~

Chapter 11: Stand By Me

~x~

Nina was laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling and tucked in bed. She shifted a little, chewing her lip. Her mind wouldn't shut off. Glancing at the clock, she spotted that it was only 3:12am. She wasn't able to fall asleep and it was frustrating her.

Her brain wouldn't shut off. On a loop, like a broken record, Nina was replaying the kiss between her and Mark. When Mark had held her in his arms, she didn't expect her reaction to be to kiss him. She was supposed to hate him!

But since Carly had showed up at the hospital, Mark had been very supportive and she liked it. Nina liked _him_. It was too confusing for her. Glancing again at the clock, she found that it had only been a minute.

"Stupid Mark!" She hissed, pulling herself out of bed. She went straight to the bathroom and stripped off her clothes for a warm shower. She may as well start getting ready for work.

~x~

"Well don't you look dead?"

"Shut up Arizona," Nina sighed loudly. Now standing in her blue scrubs, Nina was holding a large hot chocolate/coffee cup in her hand and her brown locks were pulled back in a messy bun that worked for her. "I didn't sleep last night."

Arizona smirked as the two women stopped at the nurses' station to grab the list of their patients. "Did Mark sleep over last night?"

"No!" She blushed.

The petit blonde realized _something_ had happened between Mark and Nina. "Oh my god, Nina, did you _sleep_ with Mark?"

Nina blushed and frowned. "NO! I didn't _sleep_ with Mark!"

Arizona stared at her friend. "Spill, right now."

The brunette looked at the blonde. "You can't tell anyone!" She hissed, collecting her list and the two Attendings moved away from the station. "I kissed Mark- well I don't know, maybe he kissed me. But we _kissed_. And no, it wasn't like making out, just like, a sweet kiss. Now, we are not going to talk about it anymore. I have patients."

Nina left Arizona.

~x~

Even though Derek wasn't coming to the hospital, Meredith had asked Mark to go check on his friend. So there he was standing in the doorway to the entrance, in Derek's trailer, and staring at his friend who was mindlessly staring out of one of his windows, sitting on his bed.

"Derek?" Mark moved further into the dragon's lair. He sat down.

Derek glanced over at Mark. "What do you want?" He sighed.

"There's a small list forming," Mark scrunched his nose at the smell. It appeared Derek also hadn't showered in sometime nor did he brush his teeth. Now that he had Derek's attention, even if he appeared annoyed, Mark continued. "Nina and I kissed."

Derek looked surprised, "And?"

"And after she kicked me out of her apartment and then didn't answer any of my calls or texts." Mark sighed. "What does this mean, Derek? Does it mean we're back together? Does she like me again?"

His friend chuckled. "See how it plays out,"

"Easy for you to say," Mark huffed, "You and Meredith are already engaged."

Derek shrugged. "Talk to Nina about it."

~x~

Mark was standing in front of the OR board nurses' station, looking through his charts. He could hear faintly someone walking past him and towards Richard, who was standing in front of the OR board. "Chief-"

So it was Miranda Bailey.

"Sloan," Mark turned at the call of his name. Even though he was lost in thought about Nina, their kiss, and what this meant for them as a couple, he answered his boss. "Have you heard from Derek?"

"No," Mark lied. Though, he technically wasn't lying. He hadn't heard from Derek about work. He turned back to his work. He went to check on his patient, leaving behind Miranda to try and speak to the Chief, who was losing his mind.

~x~

Nina was annoyed. Not only was she stuck on the same case as Mark, she was forced to work with him; for a long time in the OR. Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. She wished she could hide in her own OR but this patient needed her. She held the copy of the patient's charts in her arms, entering the room with Owen Hunt by her side.

She nodded to the redhead and smiled gently. She was going to do her best to act professional around Mark. She had to. They weren't a couple so he'd have to suck it up. Nina smiled at the man who was sitting on the bed, when Mark entered to check on David's vitals.

"Ladies and gentleman, this is Mr. David Young. Today he'll be receiving a face transplant." Mark stated, leaning against the portable computer stand. Owen was on the other side and Nina on Owen's other side. "Doctor Hunt and his team will be recovering the donor facial graft. We're replacing 70% of Mr. Young's face. You can see the deficit here, or here." Mark used the computer mouse to mouse over what he was talking about.

"Or here," Mr. Young said pointing to his face with a hand gesture.

Owen continued, "The donor recovery will include his nose, left eye, lips, and left zygoma. Why will Allotransplantation work better than traditional techniques?" Owen asked.

Nina watched as Lexie Grey raised her hand. Lexie answered but Nina wasn't paying attention. "I will be in the OR to watch Mr. Young's heart and lung function. Even though this surgery is on his face, the surgery will be long and possibly take a toll on Mr. Young's heart." Nina explained, knowing the interns and residents must be wondering why she was there.

After David asked about the face, the team were allowed to leave.

~x~

"Yang, you'll be with me," Nina said moving towards the woman. Cristina nodded looking pleased with this, but also unnerved by it. Nina wondered why. "We'll be on standby in case things take a turn for the worse."

Miranda walked over, handing out cases. Meredith and George were on pre-ops and post-ops. "Yang, you're with me." Bailey said. "You're moving to the big leagues."

Nina raised an eyebrow, "Sorry, Doctor Bailey. I've requested Yang to be with me today."

Miranda looked at Nina. "Doctor Knight, Doctor Yang has her first solo surgery today."

Nina glanced over at her chosen resident. Yang looked torn between choosing her first solo surgery or following her mentor into surgery. "Fine, Yang, good luck. I shall expect you to keep me posted. When you have time, check on my post-ops and pre-ops. I'll see you tomorrow on my service."

She turned and walked away, going to check on her post-ops anyway. It was as she was walking away that Mark rushed to her side. Nina rolled her eyes. "Little Grey not filling your needs anymore?" she asked annoyed. Mark did always seem in need of two women at least at a time.

Mark sighed. "Nina, I don't want to talk about Lexie. We've broken up. We have been since she…since she broke my penis. And I don't want to talk about her; I want to talk about last night."

Nina sighed and rolled her eyes, moving down the halls. "Well I don't,"

"Nina! What exactly does this mean?" Mark asked, pushing for answers. "Are we a couple now?"

She shook her head, holding her charts closer to her chest. "This doesn't mean anything! And we aren't a couple, because nothing happened last night!"

Mark stopped her from running away by grabbing her hand. "What does the kiss mean?" He asked sternly.

She glared at him and pulled her hand away. "I don't have time to talk right now, _Doctor Sloan_." And she walked away.

He sighed. _We've gone in a whole circle, haven't we?_ He thought.

~x~

Nina was standing alone, watching as Mark worked carefully on removing part of David's face. Lexie Grey was at the table, helping him. Jealousy flared up inside of her and she was shaking she was so pissed. Mark let her put David's new face on and reattach it.

Lexie giggled as she worked, Mark helping her by pointing out simple things. It caused Nina to roll her eyes, because at one point in her life, that had been her. She had been Mark's special intern and now? Now his special intern was Lexie Grey. And Nina had to understand that.

~x~

"Doctor Knight," Nina was going to check on the OR board. See if she had time to do something and get her mind off Mark and Lexie. She was literally ready to cry. She turned to look at Bailey.

"Yes, Doctor Bailey?" Nina asked, her chest feeling heavy.

"Could you go try to bring Doctor Shepherd back? I sent Doctor Hunt and Doctor Torres out there, but they haven't come back." Bailey tried to explain. "And I fear that they might be dead."

Nina wanted to say no. She wanted surgery, but she decided she'd do it. "Fine," She turned and she left to change. "But will you look after Ethan while I'm away? If it takes me too long?"

"Okay," Bailey said.

~x~

It took her 40 minutes to reach Derek's trailer. When she parked and got out of her small jeep and she walked over to the group of drunken surgeons. Derek looked over at her lazily. Callie looked to be off in la-la land. And Owen, well, he looked content drinking from a can.

Nina crossed her arms over her chest. "You aren't the only one who's lost patients, Derek."

"We covered that," Callie stated.

Nina shot Callie a slight glare. "You aren't the only one who has lost patients who mean something. Because, every patient matters. But we all get up in the morning, we go to work and we learn from the mistakes." Nina stated firmly, causing Callie and Owen to look guilty. "You aren't the only surgeon who has botched up a surgery on a pregnant woman."

This caught all three surgeon's attentions.

She swallowed thickly. "It was during my fellowship. I was the best in my year, so naturally my attending trusted me. However, that day, I was tired. Ethan had spent the weekend throwing up because he was sick. He had gotten a really bad case of chicken pox. I was tired and had come to the pit. One of my patients, her name was Alice, was 30 weeks pregnant and was having trouble breathing because she had a heart defect. I was treating her with my attending, watching over her and her pregnancy." Nina explained. "My attending was in surgery and Alice's heart went into failure, which we knew was a possibility. I rushed her to the OR. I was tired, I screwed up."

Derek was silent, staring at her.

She continued. "I nicked her Left Pulmonary Artery. Things looked fine and I closed. Alice woke up and seemed fine, but her left lung was filling with blood. I didn't realize it was happening until she was puking up blood. Alice died on the way to surgery and her baby was born pre-mature. The baby however also didn't make it because it hadn't gotten enough oxygen." Nina explained, her eyes hard. "So if you wanna sit in the woods, drunk and feeling sorry for yourself, _fine_ , but you aren't the only surgeon who has dealt with losing patients."

Derek looked right at her face. "How do you deal with it? How do you get up in the morning?"

Nina locked eyes with him. "I remember her and I honor her. I always double check, always, and I don't make the same mistake twice." She explained. "I pull myself out of bed and remind myself that I will change someone's life. Someone else will live because I've learnt from my mistakes."

He bowed his head. "I don't think I can get out of this, Nina."

"You can. You have friends and someone who loves you. They'll support you." Nina reminded him.

Derek looked up at her. "I threw the ring I had for Meredith, at Meredith."

"So apologize," Nina stressed. "Come back to work, save lives. Make a difference and learn from your mistakes. Come with me to the hospital and let's make a change, together. How does that sound?"

He slowly nodded. "Okay," He said nervously.

Nina turned to Owen and Callie. "And you two! You're going home," She stressed this and they nodded. They both looked very ashamed. They grabbed what they may need from their vehicles and piled up into Nina's jeep. Nina checked on Derek. "Come stay with Ethan and I. Don't be alone."

Derek looked at her. "Won't Mark be jealous?"

"To hell with Mark," Nina cracked a small smile at him. "He slept with my sister. He can deal with me supporting his friend."

Derek chuckled weakly and nodded. "Okay," He grabbed his clothes and anything else he may need, and went to the jeep. Nina locked up the trailer and went to her jeep, messaging Bailey that she had gotten the surgeons. Derek would be staying with her and returning to work tomorrow. Callie and Owen were drunk too so they would be going home. Bailey responded almost right away, thanking Nina and telling her that she would drive Ethan home.

Nina nodded and put her phone down, turning on the music. _I Wanna Dance with Somebody_ by Whitney Houston filled the speakers. "What? I like this sort of music," Nina laughed. The others laughed with her and sang along with it, Derek leaning against the door, looking out the window.

"Wait!" He said before getting out of the jeep. Nina paused and watched him going to look for the ring. Derek found it after ten minutes of looking and returned to the jeep. He sat down and Nina drove away from the trailer and back into Seattle.

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **Elevator Love Letter**_ : Nina supports Derek to help him get back on his feet. Mark is jealous. Ethan gets confused, wondering if Derek is "his new daddy" and throws a temper tantrum that leads him to running away from daycare to Mark, telling him that he hates Derek. Meredith confronts Derek and Derek pops the question. Izzie is Derek's first patient back at Seattle Grace and he needs Nina's support.

 **Hey guys! Yes, not a lot of Mina in this chapter but hey, I wasn't sure how to write it. And no, Derek and Nina are NOT getting together so don't get pissed at me. OKAY?! I just feel like Derek needs someone who understands what he's been through and Nina just happens to be that person. And more Ethan will come. No Carly in this chapter but she will be in the next chapter. Don't worry :) And Lucas will be showing up soon enough, just haven't worked him in yet. ;)**

 **Anyway, I love you guys!**

 **Nerdy~**

 **Review please!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: I still don't own Grey's… *sigh* But Ethan and Nina are mine! *heart***

 **Reviews:**

 _ **Leah Tatyana Nicole**_ : Yes this chapter is gonna be funny!  
 _ **TheSilverWolff**_ : You'll have to keep reading to find out if Mark is Michael's father or not ;)  
 _ **be-true-2-you**_ : I'm glad to say I've changed your mind on OCs. Enjoy chapter 12!  
 _ **Guest**_ : Meredith will be giving Derek her support soon. Right now, he is trying to bring himself together after losing control like he did. So he has turned to Nina, who is just his FRIEND. Enjoy chapter 12!  
 _ **h**_ : Yes, the story Nina told was sad. There's so much you guys don't know about her and I'm trying to work it all in so you have an idea of who Nina is at her core. And Derek and Nina are only friends. She's meant for Mark and he's meant for Meredith. :)  
 _ **Spencee98**_ : Welcome! And why Carly hates Nina so much will be revealed, at some point. Haven't decided when. Most likely when I do a Carly based chapter. And Michael will most likely not be Mark's son, he'll be Luke's. I'll play around some more with the idea before I officially decide. ;) Enjoy!

~x~

Chapter 12: Elevator Love Letter

~x~

Nina was standing in her kitchen, making some breakfast. She was finishing up some bacon and French toast. Since Derek had decided to stay with Nina while he recovered from his patient's death, she had been supporting him while he used her couch. At the moment, Derek was in the bathroom shaving and cleaning up in the shower.

Ethan appeared from inside his bedroom, rubbing his eye. He was dressed in jeans, a red t-shirt and his favorite Iron Man shoes. "Mommy, when is Derek going home?" He asked, walking over to sit on the stool by the counters.

Nina smiled gently as she passed Ethan his breakfast and orange juice, "When he's ready to go home, sweetie."

Ethan pouted. He watched his mother, before he began to eat. He didn't like this Derek fellow. Was he like, his new daddy? Ethan liked his daddy anyway, why did his mommy feel the need to replace Mark? It was confusing to him.

"Derek, hurry up! I have an early surgery!" Nina shouted. A few minutes later, Derek appeared fresh and ready for work. Nina passed him breakfast and then she slipped away to finish getting ready.

Ethan glared at Derek who sat beside him. "So what grade are you in?" He asked curiously, also adding 'in the fall' because it was still the summer time, "In the fall."

Ethan scowled. "Grade three," He said frowning. His mother would have a fit if she knew he was being rude to their guest.

Derek looked bewildered by the tune the small seven-year-old was using.

~x~

Nina and Derek were walking side by side, talking about Derek's first case back as a surgeon. Izzie Stevens, Nina had never liked the blonde. She was too perky and reminded her too much of Carly. Derek sighed as he walked along side Nina. "I don't know if I can do it, what if I end up killing her? Meredith would never forgive me." Derek said with a heavy heart.

She looked at her friend. "Hey now, you know Meredith loves you. And she knows the surgery is risky. At least Izzie is going to try," Nina pointed out.

Derek nodded and let out a small sigh. "I still don't know if I'm going to be able to do it. What if I kill her?"

Nina swallowed. "You should go talk to Meredith,"

"I'm talking to you about it, Nina." Derek sighed. "I can't talk to Meredith right now. She expects me to be this sort of god in the OR and in life. She expects me to be this put together guy, this 'McDreamy'. She isn't interested in seeing me not being so bright and shiny."

She crossed her arms. "Come on, I'll let you scrub in on one of my surgeries. _IF_ you promise to talk to Meredith!"

"Fine, I promise," Derek let out a small sigh but a smile was spreading across his face.

Nina bumped his shoulder. "So they call you McDreamy eh?"

"Oh shut up!"

~x~

"Should I be worried?"

Cristina and Meredith were enjoying lunch with Izzie, in Izzie's assigned room. Cristina looked over in confusion. "Worried about what?" she asked.

Izzie was knitting as she listened to her friends gossip about people. "Should I be worried about Derek? He's staying at Nina Knight's place! Why isn't he staying with me?"

"Didn't you reject him this morning when he showed up and purposed?" Cristina pointed out.

"That isn't the point!" Meredith sighed loudly. "I didn't want us to get engaged like that. And why is he staying with her anyway? She has _Mark Sloan_ 's kid! I thought he hated Mark!"

Izzie spoke up, "Mark and Derek are friends again, aren't they?"

"Again, that is beside the point!" Meredith sighed loudly once more, turning to give her blonde friend a slight look. "Mark slept with Addison!"

"I think you're jealous," Cristina said, stuffing her face with a fry. "McDreamy and Nina are just friends. They are too different. And to add to the matter, Nina is totally interested in McSteamy."

"Are we talking about McSpicy?" George asked.

The three girls turned and found George entering the room, going over and sitting beside Meredith. Alex also entered and went to kiss Izzie on the forehead. "Her name is totally McFeisty. She looks like she'd be great in bed," Alex mused.

Izzie shot him a look. "Should I be worried?"

"Nah," Alex reassured her. "I'm only interested in you, remember?"

Meredith let out a frustrated sigh, "Guys! We were talking about _my_ issue, remember? Should I be worried that Derek is spending time with Nina- McSpicy- whatever her name is?"

The group laughed. "Mere, McDreamy is head over heels in love with you," Cristina laughed.

Meredith pouted because the whole group was laughing at her.

~x~

It was as Nina was putting up her name on the OR board with Derek's, who was visiting Izzie about treatment. She was humming to herself quietly; some country song that she had been listening to while she showered. It was actually ' _When You Say Nothing at All'_ even though she had no idea who sang it.

"Wow, an Arrhythmia Treatment surgery. I haven't seen one of those since I was a resident."

Nina turned and found a middle-aged man with soft blonde hair, gentle curls and pale skin. His eyes were a shade of gray. He was tall, firm and lean. She swallowed, her eyes zeroing in on his name-tag.

 _Dr. L. O'Connor, Trauma._

Nina was face-to-face with Carly's husband. "Lucas O'Connor, Trauma," Luke held out his hand. "All my friends call me Luke though."

"Nina Knight, Cardio," She shook his hand. "You're married to Carly aren't you?"

"Is it that obvious?" Luke laughed gently before pocketing his hand again. Nina did the same. "Carly makes friends easier than me. She likes to jump right into it,"

Nina didn't want to burst this guy's bubble about his wife, because the way his eyes shone talking about her made Nina feel envious. Carly had such an amazing husband! It confused Nina on why she was interested in trying to steal Nina's…

"Well, I've gotta go. I have to make sure my resident is prepping my patient, answer questions and grab Derek before heading into surgery." Nina explained, looking at the man.

Luke nodded, "Alright. Nice meeting you, Doctor Knight."

"Nice meeting you too, Doctor O'Connor," She replied awkwardly before walking away.

~x~

Ethan was mad. Not only was his mommy not letting him spend time with his daddy, but she had brought home a strange new man. Was he his new daddy? Ethan didn't want or need a new daddy. He had Mark. He liked Mark.

He sat sulking in his snack chair, glaring down at the food in front of him. Usually Ethan would be a good boy but he wasn't in a very good mood right now. Did his mommy like this stranger better than she liked him?

"You've gotta eat your cheese, crackers and grapes Ethan. Or else we can't play!" Tuck stressed.

Ethan looked over at Tuck. "I don't wanna eat," He pouted. "I want my daddy!"

An idea came to him. Why couldn't he go tell his daddy to fight for his mommy? His daddy told him all kinds of stories back before he was born. His parents had been together, happy and so in love. Why couldn't they be in love again? Ethan could see the way his mom looked so torn between hating his dad and loving him. Ethan looked at Tuck. "You've gotta distracted the caretakers."

"What? Why?" Tucker asked.

"I need to sneak away," Ethan stated. "I've gotta tell my daddy to fight for my mommy or else I'm gonna be forced to have a new daddy!"

~x~

Mark was upset and confused. After spotting Nina bringing Derek inside of the hospital, at first he was thrilled. Derek was back at work. But upon seeing how close the two of them were becoming, he couldn't help but feel stupid. Was Derek moving in on his woman? So he was in a bad mood.

And to add to it, Nina didn't have time to let Mark properly spend time with Ethan. Mark was busy all the time with his burn unit and patients. Nina was busy with her own work and both couldn't match up times to spend time together.

As Mark wrote in his charts, making notes for the staff while caring for his patients, that he heard a small voice. "Daddy!" he turned and found Ethan standing there, arms crossed and his eyes threatening to fill with tears.

"Ethan? What are you doing out of daycare?" Mark asked confused as Ethan ran to hug his dad.

Ethan threw his small arms around his dad's neck and Mark picked the boy up, letting him cuddle his way into Mark's shoulder. "I had to run away from daycare, I needed to see you." Ethan explained. "I think mommy is trying to give me a new daddy! You've gotta fight for her, daddy! Please! I don't want a new daddy!"

"What? Who could she possibly try to replace me with?"

Ethan looked up at his dad. "Derek," His name was said with a vial tone. The boy's face was filled with disgust.

~x~

Meredith knew it was wrong the way Derek went to Nina Knight with his problems. And yes, he had popped the question when he had visited her this morning and she had said no, but who could blame her? She wanted to be wooed and to be asked all special like. Every girl did, even Cristina if Meredith knew her person well enough.

She was walking down the hall when she spotted Derek looking over notes and charts; she figured it was Izzie's papers if her gut told her anything. She walked over towards him and frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Should I be worried?" She asked, her tone dripping with annoyance and slight fear.

Derek turned to look at her. He thought she was talking about Izzie's surgery. "I'm doing my best, Meredith."

"By showing interest in another woman?" she asked, appalled by his words. "Derek, this morning you were asking me to marry you and now you're spending all your time with Nina Knight?! What the hell?"

He swallowed, surprise appearing on his face. "I…I thought you were talking about me botching up Izzie's surgery."

"Oh you'll do fine with Izzie's surgery! You're Derek Shepherd!" Meredith pointed out, like he was some sort of Neuro surgeon god. "So what is it about her? Is it because she's older and closer to your age? Is it because she's an Attending? Is it because she's all bright and shiny? Because she has a kid and is perfect wife material?"

Derek was utterly shocked by how insecure Meredith sounded. "Mere, Nina and I are just friends."

"Yeah, 'just friends'," She said air quoting him. Her voice became shaky, "I became all whole for you Derek. I worked through all my mommy _and_ daddy issues so that I could be ready for you! And now you're living with another woman? What happened to you living with me?"

He shifted. "I'm staying with her so I can get back onto my feet. She understands what I've been through and she's supporting me. We are just friends, seriously." Derek tried to make her understand. "I love _you_ Meredith, and I want to be with you; only you. Nina isn't interested in me."

"Are you trying to get back at Sloan for sleeping with Addison?" Meredith asked quietly, her heart racing and her face drooping with sadness.

He actually laughed. "I don't care that Mark slept with Addie. Mark is my friend," He chuckled, not realizing how upset Meredith was because he was staying with Nina. "And so is Addie. Why would I put Mark through the same stuff I went through?"

"I don't know," Meredith sniffled.

As Derek wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him to try and calm her down, Mark Sloan was walking towards them. Ethan was holding onto Mark's hand, looking slightly pleased with himself. Derek turned when he heard Mark bellow his name. "Hey Mark," Derek said.

Mark stood before Derek, his eyes hard. "Stay away from my woman and my kid." And then, Mark punched Derek….in the face.

~x~

Nina had just scrubbed out of a surgery, telling Cristina to look after the patient when she was paged to the Chief's office. Confusion filled her. Why exactly would the Chief want to see her?

They had spoken about James Walker already. And Carly had already caused havoc on Nina for losing a patient that she literally had no control over. She pushed the thought away and went to the Chief's office. She found Mark, Derek, Meredith, Richard and Ethan in the office, waiting for her.

"Ah, Doctor Knight, so glad you could join us." Richard's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Have a seat."

Nina walked over to Ethan, wondering what was going on. "Why is Ethan here?" She asked.

Ethan looked down in shame. She sat down. "Mr. Knight here snuck away from daycare," Richard spoke when nobody else offered any information. "And told Doctor Sloan that, and I _quote_ , 'you were replacing him with a new daddy'." Richard did not look amused.

Nina looked at her son, shocked. Mark frowned, "Chief-"

Ethan whimpered as his mother gave him a hard look.

"And then," Richard said ignoring Mark, "Doctor Sloan went to Doctor Shepherd and punched him, telling him, and I _quote again_ , 'stay away from my woman and my kid'. Should there be something I should be aware of?"

"Chief I…" Nina ran a hand through her brown locks, "I'm speechless."

"And so am I! My Head of Plastics punching my Head of Neuro? I thought we were past this!" Richard frowned, looking between both men.

"I thought Derek was moving in on my woman," Mark tried to defend himself.

"Your woman?" Nina asked as she turned to look at Mark, "Last time I checked I wasn't anyone's woman!"

"You were my wife, Nina!" Mark pointed out.

"Yes, I _was_! But now I'm not!" Nina scowled.

"People!" shouted Richard, causing the Attendings to bow their heads and look ashamed. "Control yourselves! We need to come to an agreement or else I'm going to suspend you all! And I don't think Doctor Stevens needs that right now."

Nina sighed and looked down at Ethan. "Ethan, Mark," She said causing both to look at her. "Apologize to Derek. Right. Now."

"Sorry Mr. Derek," Ethan said gruffly.

"I'm sorry," Mark said equally as gruffly.

Derek shrugged his shoulders, holding a bag of ice to his face. "If this is because I'm staying at your place, it isn't worth it." Derek laughed weakly, wincing at the pain.

Meredith jumped in, "You could always stay with me again."

He smiled at her, "I'd really like that."

Ethan shifted in his chair. Nina turned to her son. "And you, Mr, are grounded."

"Aw mama!" he whined.

"No whining, Ethan." Nina said firmly. "You caused Derek to get punched in the face."

Ethan pouted. "Now that we have this settled, return your son to daycare. And get back to your jobs." Richard said, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Yes sir," All four surgeons said before getting up. Ethan nodded to Richard and followed his mother to daycare, hanging his head as he went. Richard was left in his office alone.

~x~

Meredith was ready to head home, jacket in hand and standing in front of the elevator. She pushed the button and stood back, waiting for the elevator to reach her. After the long draining day of worrying over nothing, she was ready to crawl into bed and be with Derek.

He had explained that he'd head to Nina's, grab his stuff and go home to her place.

As the elevator opened, Meredith went to step forward. Nina spotted her and rushed over, stopping her from getting on. "Don't take it!" She said, causing Meredith to look at her strangely.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because I said don't take it," Nina said shifting. Mark was supposed to be picking up Ethan from daycare while Nina stood guard at the elevators for Derek. He seriously owed her.

"I will take the elevator I want to take," Meredith replied, giving the woman a dirty look. Nina was not on the best of grounds with Meredith.

Nina stopped Meredith from walking onto the elevator. The elevator doors closed and Meredith had to repress the button, Nina standing guard for the now closed doors. The other doors opened. Meredith eyed her warily, waiting for Nina to stop her. "Well, go on," Nina said nodding to Meredith.

When the doors opened, Derek stood on the other side. Brain scans and papers lathered the walls of the elevator. "Hey, come on in," Derek said smiling his McDreamy smile. Meredith walked in and looked shocked by the scans. "This is a scan of Katie Brace." Derek stated, pointing to the correct one.

Meredith smiled. "I remember,"

He pointed out each scan and explained why they were there. There was the one where Meredith held the clamp and didn't flinch; Beth where she made the trail possible; and the one where Bailey kicked her out of the OR because she had caught them in Derek's car.

"This one is from today," Derek said pointing to one, "This one is the post-opt scan of Izzie Stevens, and right there…tumor free. Because of you," he smiled. Her smile was growing. "You got me into that OR. If there's a crisis, you don't freeze. You move forward. You get the rest of us to move forward…because you've seen worse. You've survived worse. And you knew that we'll survive too. You say you'll all dark and twisty, but that isn't a flaw. It's a strength." Derek said smiling at her. "It makes you who you are."

She couldn't stop the smile that was on her face.

"I'm not gonna get down on one knee," He stated. "I'm not gonna ask a question. I love you Meredith Grey. And I want to spend the rest of my life…with you."

"And I want to spend the rest of my life with you," Meredith replied, her heart racing as she stared into his eyes.

He smiled and leaned in. She leaned forward and their lips connected. It was a passionate kiss. Derek offered her the ring and she slipped it onto her finger.

 **Up Next:** _ **Sweet Surrender**_ : Mark and Nina are back to square one. Carly goes to speak with Izzie about Chemo and Carly makes her first real friend at Seattle Grace. She helps Izzie plan Meredith and Derek's wedding.

 **Next chapter will be a Carly based chapter. Just a fair warning! ;) And what did you all think of this chapter? I stayed up past my bedtime to finish this. Lol I have something to do tomorrow and I've gotta get up early HA! The last scene I took directly from the show so all you MereDer fans would be happy. ARE YOU HAPPY? Meredith and Derek are engaged. What did you think of the scene with Mere and her friends? It was fun writing. And the scene with Richard was fun too xD**

 **Anyway, I'm logging off. I hope you enjoyed chapter 12!**

 **Nerdy~**

 **Please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: If you think, 13 chapters in that I could possibly own Grey's, you're crazy! But Nina? She's all mine :) Enjoy!**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **Patsy:**_ Yes poor Ethan. :( But if he did cause Mark to punch Derek sooo…. Yeah. He sorta needs to be grounded.  
 _ **mandyg67**_ : I'm glad you enjoyed the Cristina scene; I hope I did her justice. And I think that will happen, at some point XD I feel like Mark would have been sort of ashamed because he married an intern so he never told Addie or Derek about Nina. Anyway, enjoy!  
 _ **h**_ : I honestly don't know which one is better either. I like them both and I think they describe Nina really well haha! And Ethan is really cute, isn't he? :) God I love him so much. My little cinnamon bun *heart*

~x~

Chapter 13: Sweet Surrender

~x~

 _His lips were soft. His hand on her breast felt amazing. As he cupped and then started moving it about, Carly couldn't help but let out a sigh. She could feel his heart racing in his chest- but hers wasn't much better. Carly was thirteen and he was sixteen but this moment felt amazing._

 _She pulled away when she heard a gasp. Turning, her eyes found her oh so perfect sister watching them. A smirk spread across her face as Nina stared at them. The boy, Adam, pulled away just as Nina turned to run away._

" _Nina wait!" Adam shouted. But it was too late, Nina was gone._

 _Too bad Adam wasn't interested in going all the way; he had left her all hot and bothered._

~x~

Carly sat up, the room dark and her chest was heaving. She ran a hand through her damp brown curls. Her eyes went to Lucas, who was sleeping soundly on the other side of the bed. She let out a breath of air before slipping out of bed. Carly left her bedroom to grab a glass of water from the kitchen.

The only light was coming from a light above their stove that they left on in case the kids woke up and needed to pee. Carly moved like a mouse to the kitchen before turning on the tap, letting it run for a moment to let the water turn cool. Her thoughts went to the dream she had.

It was a memory.

She sighed gently, looking down as she picked up her glass and filled it with cool water. Lucas didn't know about Carly's past. He never saw the need to know about her. He knew her mother, Linda Knight and her father, Joseph Knight; he was content. He knew she had a sister but that Nina had cut ties with the family. He also knew about Carly's runaway brother Elliot.

What else did Lucas need to know?

Carly closed her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. Since deciding to come to Seattle Grace, old memories she wished would go with her to her grave were reappearing. And it was leaving her very tired.

~x~

Carly dropped Michael and Ariana off at daycare. Lucas was paged by Hunt to go straight to the ER. So Carly dragged her feet across the floor to the nurses' station. As she collected her cases for the day, she couldn't help but take note of what the nurses were saying.

"So I hear they were together, sleeping together. And when McDreamy made a move on her, McSteamy got defensive and punched McDreamy." The nurse gossiped.

Was her sister having trouble in her la-la land? Carly listened closely as the nurses talked about the fight that had broken out yesterday. _Darn_ , Carly thought, _I miss all the good stuff. Ugh, why did Ariana have to get sick?_

She moved away from the station when she realized she was being expected by Izzie Stevens. Carly found her way to her patient's room. Because the usual Oncologist was busy, Carly was expected to fill in any extra cases. Izzie was sitting in bed, looking through her magazines.

"The big day coming?" Carly asked, looking at her chart as she walked into the room.

"You could say that," Izzie replied as she looked at the young doctor. "I'm planning my friend's wedding. Do you have any idea how hard it is to plan a wedding?"

Carly nodded as she set the chart down, looking at the woman. "I do know, I planned my own," She said, smiling fondly as she flashed her ring. "But I had help. I was nineteen when I got married."

"Wow," Izzie said surprised. "Would you mind helping me out?"

"Sure," Carly said. "But only if you promise to actually rest. A little birdie told me you were out of bed planning this thing. That can't happen. Chemo will seriously take it outta ya."

"Deal!" Izzie smiled brightly.

~x~

After walking Izzie to Chemo, Carly went to make quick rounds on her patients. Today, she had Meredith Grey on her service which would be fun. Carly thought the girl was too much like Nina. Everyone seemed to be.

Meredith was also off in la-la land because she was now engaged to McDreamy. Carly found it sickening.

"Grey," Carly hissed causing the girl to shoot her a dirty look. She stopped and faced the girl. "I am _your_ Attending, and if you want to learn anything about what I do, I'd suggest you show me some respect!"

Carly turned and went back to walking to the NICU. Meredith mumbled under her breath, "Sister husband fucker…."

~x~

"I'm stuck on Knight-O'Connor's service. It sucks!" Meredith complained as she munched on her food. Izzie was holding back how terrible she felt after Chemo.

Cristina walked in and smirked. "I've got the good Knight," She sighed contently. "If I was a lesbian like Callie, I'd bang her."

"See? McSpicy," George pointed out.

"Nah, McFeisty," Alex replied.

Izzie smiled weakly as she listened to her friends talk. Alex walked over and kissed her forehead. "So Mere, would you stay after lunch to try on dresses? I've finally convinced the woman who sells the dresses to bring some in. Carly said she'd bring them up." Izzie said hopefully.

Meredith looked at her friend uneasily. "Err…I have surgery-"

"But you're on Carly's service. She says she doesn't have any surgeries." Izzie pointed out.

"When did you and Satan become friends?" Cristina asked. All her friends looked at her oddly. "What? Mrs. McSteamy talks when she's pissed off. And some of the stories about Satan sound terrible. Like worse than Addison-Satan bad."

"Her name is totally McSpicy!" George grinned widely before Alex commented yet again on his opinion on what Nina's McName should be.

However, Meredith and Izzie were interested in some of the stories. "What kind of stuff has Mrs. McSteamy let you in on?" Meredith asked curiously.

"That McSteamy wasn't the only guy Satan stole from Mrs. McSteamy." Cristina replied with a smirk. All the residents looked interested. "And that Satan's eldest might not even be McHunk's."

"No, that isn't it…" Meredith said thoughtfully.

"McYummy?" Izzie tried.

"McClassy?" Cristina also tried.

"McJazzy!" Meredith said, snapping her fingers.

"Oh there it is," All the girls agreed.

George leaned over to Alex. "What does 'Jazzy' even mean?"

"It means smooth and classy," Alex whispered back, before watching the girls begin to gossip about Lucas aka McJazzy.

~x~

Nina was standing in the cafeteria, nothing to do and bored out of her mind. She could go sit with Ethan but she was still annoyed with her son for running off.

"So who's 'McJazzy'?"

Nina jumped and whipped around to find Lucas standing there, watching her. She touched her chest and took in a deep breath of air. Lucas looked worried. "How should I know?" She breathed.

"I don't know; I've heard a few residents and interns saying it. I think even a few nurses…the residents like you, don't they?" Lucas asked. "I figured you would know…"

"I guess they like me," Nina shrugged. "But I don't know, seriously. Ask Shepherd. He's the one in a relationship with one."

Lucas nodded and turned to go before pausing. He looked at Nina. "Which one's Shepherd?"

"You know Hunt, he was in a relationship with another the last time I checked," Nina shrugged.

"Thank you Doctor Knight," And he scurried off.

~x~

Nina dropped her tray on the table, Callie and Arizona sitting together whispering about something before they fell silent. "I seriously hate Mark. He's giving me these puppy dog eyes wherever I go. I can't go anywhere without him trying to talk to me!" She sighed frustrated as she sat down.

Callie looked at Arizona and then at Nina. "My dad is in town," She sighed. "He nearly killed George and then Mark. And now he's threatening to cut me off from my trust fund if I don't stop being gay."

Nina plopped a fry in her mouth. "Well he can fuck off. Arizona makes you happy," She stated. "And as your father, he should want you to be happy. Do you want me to talk to him? I convinced Shepherd to stop having so many pity parties. And then I hooked him up with Grey."

"This is why I talk to you," Callie chuckled.

Arizona agreed. "Don't look back now, but Sloan is walking over."

Nina sighed loudly. Callie looked up at her ex-sex partner. "Nina, can we talk?" Mark asked.

"Do you ladies hear anything?" Nina asked, ignoring Mark. This caused him to pout like a kicked puppy.

Callie looked up at Mark and then at Nina. Callie just shook her head at the man who looked like he just wanted to talk. "Nina please!" Mark said pleadingly. "Can't we just talk?"

Finally, she turned and looked at him. "You punched the man you consider a brother. And for what? Derek doesn't like me like that. He loves Meredith Grey." She frowned. "I can barely look at you without feeling ashamed and disgusted."

He whimpered, "Nina, it wasn't like that-"

"Why don't you run to your Little Grey? You're really good at that." Nina said coolly. Mark looked just so beat down.

"Nina I love you," Mark stated. Callie and Arizona looked really interested, forgetting for a moment, their own drama. "I may not be the best at showing it but I do love you. I've loved you for ten years. And yeah I cheated on you multiply times which I regret, FYI. And yeah you caught me sleeping with your sister, but don't treat me like I'm some bug. Because I'm here, right now, trying to make things right, because I love you."

Nina was silent. Actually, the whole cafeteria was silent, watching the pair. "Why did you sleep with her?" She asked quietly.

"Because I was an idiot," Mark stated, "Because I was scared. I was scared about how happy I was. I was scared of our future. You were so good. You _are_ so good and I'm not. I felt like you'd realize that and leave me."

She wasn't sure what to do, as her green eyes locked on his blue ones. "Just kiss him already!" Callie urged, her eyes drinking in the sight. It was a welcomed sight from her life filled with daddy drama.

Nina blushed, and then, Mark pulled her up onto her feet and pulled her into a kiss. And it was so passionate. It caused her toes to curl and leave her body feeling limbless. He pressed her close to his chest, and Nina, she loved it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. His hands wandered down to her hips and pulled her even closer- if that was possible. She moaned into the kiss as his tongue slid into her mouth. And it all felt so amazing.

Neither of them spotted Lexie standing there, watching them with pain in her eyes. Nor did they see Lucas, who's eyes filled with rage and hurt.

~x~

Carly stepped into Izzie's room. The room was filled with wedding pictures, dresses and plans. She moved inside and noticed Izzie looked just so down in the dumps. "So where's your lover boy?" Carly asked sweetly, moving over to check on Izzie's vitals.

Izzie looked up from the magazine that was sitting on her lap. She sighed quietly, shrugging her shoulders. "He was paged for something," She said wishfully. "I can't wait to beat this and get back into surgery."

"So I hear you have another Attending who got Mc'd?" Carly asked, remembering she had heard the name McJazzy somewhere. "Mind telling me who McJazzy is?"

Izzie laughed weakly. "McJazzy is your husband," She said smiling. "He seems like he's the sort of guy who's real smooth."

"At least his name isn't McSmoothie or something," Carly laughed. She began to update Izzie's chart. Izzie laughed as well. "Don't push yourself, okay? Sleep," She said before she left the room, knocking over one of Meredith's dresses. Carly didn't notice and went to talk to the nurses.

Izzie sighed and got up. She felt terrible, and dragged her feet over to the dresses. She bent down to pick it up and then passed out. Carly turned and saw Izzie on the ground; she pushed off and rushed to Izzie's side to help her.

~x~

After saving Izzie's life, Carly collected her two kids and went home. Lucas had left her a message that he would be home late. So Carly took the kids straight home. Unknowingly, Lucas was sitting in Joe's bar drinking.

Lucas spotted Derek and Mark entering the bar together, chatting and laughing together. He glared at Mark, wondering what exactly this guy had that made his wife cheat on him. He had overheard Nina and Mark in the cafeteria. He stood and walked over to the two men.

"Hey Luke," Derek greeted. He had nothing against the guy. They worked together a few times, "The Mrs. alright?"

Lucas nodded to Derek before looking at Mark. He was never a violent drunk or violent period. But in that moment, he was mad. "Why the hell did you sleep with my wife?"

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **No Good at Saying Sorry (One More Chance)**_ : Now that Carly's affair is out in the open, she must deal with an upset husband and a possible divorce. Nina and Mark are happily together and trying to find themselves in this new relationship they find themselves embracing. More of Nina's and Carly's past is revealed.

 **Carly's affair is out in the open so Lucas knows! How do you think that will impact him? How will that impact the kids (Michael and Ariana)? Not as many reviews, why is that? Are you guys not interested in this anymore? O.o**

 **ANYWAY, I guess I'll let you all read this and enjoy. It took me awhile to put it together but I feel I did a really good job. Things are coming together, slowly but surely. :) And also, not many reviews. Are you guys not interested anymore? Because seriously, I'd like to know! :( Did I do something wrong? Is something upsetting you? Has the MerDer set you guys off or something?**

 **PS: I've got no school today because of a snow day ;) So I shall be awaiting your replies *heart***

 **Nerdy~**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy…but I can play with the characters, which is exactly what I'm doing :) Enjoy!**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **Patsy**_ : So glad to hear it! You'll get to see more of Nina's past. Enjoy!  
 _ **Spencee98**_ : There will be more flashbacks, don't you worry. ;) We shall see more of Carly and Nina as kids, and learn about their family. And yeah she's a horrible person, but you get to see more of why she is that way once we get further into the story!  
 _ **Leah Tatyana Nicole**_ : I think you're right  
 _ **mandyg67**_ : You're the only one who picked up on their missing brother Elliot! But you'll have to wait and see if he shows up ;) And we'll find out if Lucas is the father of Michael and Ariana soon  
 _ **Guest**_ : I'm sorry you feel that way. I'm not trying to offend you or anything, but it does say this story is a Mark/OC story, not a Lexie/Mark story. You have the right to your opinion but in my defence, I never liked Lexie, especially with Mark. I think, in my opinion, Mark is made for Nina and not Lexie.  
 _ **TheSilverWolff**_ : Welcome back! You've missed so much drama well you were away haha. Enjoy! PS: More Nerek and Mina ahead. ;)  
 _ **h**_ : Yes, sadly, in fact Carly has. But hey, we can't fault Carly; we don't know the full story yet. So you vote for McSpicy? So you're siding with George, huh. Lol Alex won't be please ;) Enjoy this chapter, ya hear? :D

~x~

Chapter 14: No Good at Saying Sorry (One More Chance)

~x~

Nina's day had started off amazing. After dropping Ethan off at daycare, Mark had met up with her to see his son. Once that was finished, they walked together to the Attending's lounge were they kissed some more. She hadn't been this happy in a long time it seemed.

After the many Mark kisses, Nina had gone into surgery to do a Piggy Back which had gone amazingly.

She now stood in front of the nurses' station, updating her patient's charts. She had told the family the surgery went well and was now informing the nurses how to look after her patient. "Doctor Knight," She looked up and found Mark standing before her, a cocky smirk on his face. She smiled as he leaned down to kiss her lips. "You, me, dinner, tonight," He offered.

"Oh, but what about Ethan?" Nina asked playfully.

"I spoke to Bailey," Mark stated, "She said she'd take Ethan for the night if you took Tuck next week. She said something about her wanting to spend time with her husband?"

"Ooh, deal," Nina giggled. They shared another kiss.

"Nina Marie Josephine Knight!"

The couple pull away, jumping apart after spotting an older woman with curly grey hair, jade green eyes and wrinkled skin. The old woman paused and turned to call over her shoulder, "Joseph! Get over here! I found Nina!" The woman shouted.

A man similar to the woman in age appeared, though he was bald and a white goatee. "What Linda?" He asked, walking over.

The woman, Linda, sighed. "I _said_ I found Nina!"

"Oh," Joseph said turning to face his daughter. Joseph's worn hazel eyes locked onto Nina's eyes. He walked over and wrapped his arms around Nina in a hug. "We came as soon as we heard, I'm so sorry darlin'."

Mark looked utterly confused by this display of affection. After Joseph stepped back, Linda scooped Nina up for a hug. "Err…what do you mean? Why would you come?" Nina asked, confused. Mark looked utterly stunned.

"Why of course we came," Linda replied, "We came as soon as we heard about Lucas wanting a divorce. It's a shame that Charlotte is losing her husband…what will she do with two children and no husband?"

Nina connected why exactly her parents were there. "Um, Nina?" Mark began, causing his girlfriend to look at him. "Who are these people?"

She realized that Mark had no idea who Linda and Joseph were. "Mark, these are my parents Joseph and Linda." She explained before turning to her parents. "Mama, daddy; Carly will be _fine_. She doesn't need a husband to raise a family. Look at me; I've raised Ethan without his daddy for years."

"Nina Marie, you use your sister's proper name that yer mama gave her," Joseph stated firmly. Nina winced gently and Mark looked utterly terrified. "And Ethan does need his daddy, even if he's a no good cheating bastard."

Mark winced at the name.

"But daddy-"

"No buts, Nina Marie." Joseph stated firmly giving his daughter the snake eye. She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

~x~

After Carly finally showed up after at least ten pages, Joseph and Linda brought her inside of the meeting room to talk. Mark and Nina were standing together watching as the parents comforted their youngest. "So why did your dad call you Nina Marie?" Mark asked after a long moment of silence. "And don't they know I'm Ethan's dad?"

"It's my name," Nina said glancing up at Mark. "I just prefer to go by Nina. Daddy likes to use our proper names that he and mama gave us. I was named after his mama. And I never saw the need to tell them who exactly had gotten me pregnant. To them, you were this man who had left me and cheated on me, leaving me pregnant."

Mark nodded looking slightly amused. "So Josephine is your middle name?" He asked, moving from the topic of how their relationship had previously ended on bad terms.

"Yes, it is," Nina blushed. "And don't you repeat it to anyone."

He held up his hands. "I won't tell anyone," He reassured, "We were married and I never knew that your real name was Nina Marie. Why is that?"

"I didn't see the reason for you to know," Nina shrugged. He reached over and took hold of her hand, causing a smile to spread across Nina's face, "So dinner, eh?"

He couldn't stop the smirk that spread across his face. "Yeah, dinner,"

~x~

Carly was pulled into the meeting room by her parents. Linda Knight: the perfect housewife and mother. And her father, Joseph Knight: A true southern, firm and a deeply religious, family man at heart. Being raised in their household, she was expected to marry well, get a good job until she married and then have a family.

So, it wasn't okay with her parents that Lucas was requesting a divorce. You didn't get divorced in their family. _Oh but sweet Nina did,_ Carly scowled in her thoughts. Nina was Linda's and Joseph's miracle baby after the doctors said Linda might not be able to have any more children. Carly had been an accident so thus, wasn't the Knight family's miracle baby. So Nina could do no wrong in their parents' eyes.

"Charlotte, how could this happen? You have two children to think about! Have you told Lucas that? Maybe if you mention the kids, he'll rethink this divorce nonsense." Linda offered, her eyes pleading with her daughter.

Carly sighed, earning a glare from her father. "Mama, Luke has good reason to want a divorce."

"You should use his proper name, Charlotte." Joseph scolded her as he gave her a warning look, "The name his mama gave him."

" _Sorry_ ," She huffed and cursed under her breath. "But he does have a good reason."

"Nobody has a good reason to get a divorce!" Linda exclaimed, looking ready to faint at the mere suggestion.

Joseph nodded, agreeing with his wife. Carly looked between her parents. "What about Nina's divorce?" She demanded, wanting to understand why it was okay for her older sister to get a divorce but not her. "Huh? She got a divorce and I don't remember you giving her this much grief!"

Her parents frowned. "That was a different situation. And use her proper name!" Joseph snapped at his youngest. Carly frowned deeply, glaring at her father. "Stop acting like a child. Your sister caught him sleeping with somebody else. And usually I wouldn't agree to such a thing, but it wasn't a onetime thing, Charlotte. Your sister had good reasons not to stay with him."

 _Of course, defend innocent Nina,_ Carly thought with a frown. "Well Luke has good reasons not to stay with me! Okay? I cheated on him! I cheated on him with Mark Sloan aka Nina's ex husband! And I got pregnant, so I'm not sure who Michael's real father is!"

Her parents were stunned into silence.

~x~

 _The hymns of the Church service echoed inside of Carly's head. She had no idea why exactly she had to come to Church every Sunday. She sat on the bench, watching as their priest sat calmly in his large king chair as Carly liked to call it. Carly watched as her daddy stood up and walked up towards the alter._

 _Her daddy bowed and then walked forward, before he began to read from the Bible. Carly sighed to herself and let her eyes wander around. People looked content listening to her daddy, which Carly understood. Her daddy was a very religious man and he was humble. Her eyes landed on Nina, her older sister by two years, sitting beside their older brother Elliot. Elliot was a tall kid, nearing age twelve. He had fluffy blonde hair, similar to their daddy and muddy green eyes that was a total mix of their parents. Elliot was seven years older than Carly._

 _Her eyes stayed locked on Elliot, who was playing with the edge of his jacket. Until of course, their mama spotted him and gave him a firm look. Elliot merely rolled his eyes and returned to what he was doing. Carly wished she could be like that._

 _Once Church finished with the bread and wine, supposedly Jesus' body and blood, but Carly wasn't fooled, the Knight family walked home in the summer sun. Carly was bored out of her mind. At age five, Carly knew she was smart. She just wasn't Elliot or Nina smart. She held onto her mama's hand, watching as her daddy brought Elliot into the shed. Her mama put her at the table, giving her a book to read to learn more about Jesus. She was supposed to read it out loud._

 _Nina was allowed to help her mama begin to make lunch. Carly found it boring and made her angry. Why did she have to read from the Bible? Why couldn't she go play outside?_

" _Charlotte, don't mumble," Her mama stated firmly causing Carly to glance up from the Bible. Some of the words were too hard and too big for her, but as a Knight, she was expected to at least try. "Knights do not mumble."_

" _Yes mama," Carly said going back to reading about how God created the Earth._

~x~

After the mini showdown with her parents, Carly went to find Lucas. She needed to sit down and talk to him. He had packed his things and left the small house they had just gotten. He stated that he would be staying at the hotel and that he wouldn't be returning home for awhile.

Their two kids had been confused but assumed their dad had a lot of surgeries. She found Luke in the ER, standing by the main desk and doing paperwork. The interns were handling the few patients moving along, who needed stitches in the pit. Carly figured this was the best time to go talk to him. "Luke?" She asked, catching her husband's attention. Heaven only knew if he would stay her husband.

Luke looked up and sighed when he realized who had come to talk to him. "What do you want Carly?"

"I wanna talk," She sighed. He gave her a hard look. "My parents are in town and you know how they are. They don't want me to get a divorce."

"I can't be with you, every time I look at you…all I can picture is you sleeping with that man." Lucas explained, giving her a hard look. "And I don't want our kids to think that a marriage is supposed to be miserable because it isn't."

Carly was stunned, "We've been married almost fifteen years!"

"And yet you still cheated on me."

She looked away, feeling ashamed. "It was years ago,"

Lucas ran a hand through his hair. "Is that supposed to make me feel better? You broke your wedding vows!" Whispers were surrounding them. Lucas caught one that was shocking. He turned to look dead onto her. "When did you sleep with him?"

"Luke-"

"Tell me."

"Seven years ago,"

"Oh god…" He turned away from her, doing the math inside of his head. "Is…is Michael…"

"I honestly don't know," Carly said feeling ashamed. "It was only a onetime thing! I have never slept with anyone besides you and that man. It was only once, Luke, you've gotta believe me!"

He couldn't look at her anymore. "I want a blood test,"

~x~

 **Up Next** : _**What a Difference a Day Makes**_ : Lucas' and Carly's marriage is on the line. If Michael turns out to be Mark's, they know their marriage won't survive. Mark tries to get the moment right to have sex with Nina for the first time in many, many years. A wedding takes place.

 **Hey guys! Thank you all for the lovely reviews :) We're getting close to the end of Season 5… oh what to do! Would you guys like to me to continue with Nina's story through season 6 and possibly onward? If I was to, would you prefer the seasons to stay together in one story or create a new for each season? Or maybe do a few seasons together for one story and so on? I'd love to hear what you guys think!**

 **Also, for when Nina and Mark do get it on, do you guys want me to go into detail (so bump the rating up to M) or skip over it (so leave it at T)? OH! And give me your thoughts on if Michael should be Mark's or Lucas'! ;)**

 **Nerdy~**

 **PS: Please review. The more reviews mean longer chapters and a happier writer, so that means more Mina love *heart***


	15. Chapter 15

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: I still not mine**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **mandyg67**_ : I will continue with this story :) Enjoy!  
 _ **Mrs. Donald Flack Jr**_ : I'm glad you love this and look forward to updates. I look forward to writing honestly. xD I think I will keep it just one story. It seems more interesting that way, eh? So you'd like the rating to go up M? Sounds good… Fair warning, I've never written smut before so it may not be for awhile….or it might be really bad at first. Sorry! Haha, enjoy this chapter. We'll learn who Michael's dad is this chapter ;)  
 _ **Leah Tatyana Nicole**_ : I know right?  
 _ **Spencee98**_ : Yes, poor Lucas. His character will grow though now that he isn't just "Carly's husband". And the showdown will happen soon, I'm sure. Especially with what happens this chapter ;) Another person wants this to be bumped up to M? Okay. Fair warning again, I have never written smut before but I will try, FOR YOU!  
 _ **SkittlezxBabex146**_ : Welcome to _Hidden Truths_! You're like the only person who wants Lucas' and Carly's marriage to work out. I sort of ship them honestly. So cute together! You'll find out who is Michael's father is this chapter. Enjoy!  
 _ **h**_ : Same, honestly. She's an interesting character who has an interesting back story. I can't say yet who Michael's dad is but if you read chapter 15 you'll find out lol. So are you okay with M or do you want to keep it at T?  
 _ **Guest**_ : Well it looks like you'll get those details lol  
 _ **Guest**_ : (I used Google translate, so if any of this is wrong, I'm sorry!)  
Vous êtes très bien, la relation entre Mark et Nina est déjà très compliqué. Et je pense que vous avez raison au sujet de leur relation ne survit si Michael est Marc. Nous espérons que vous apprécierez ce chapitre! Et bienvenue à _Hidden Truths_!

~x~

Chapter 15: What a Difference a Day Makes

~x~

In her apartment, Nina sat on the couch going over some of her patient's notes, her eyes on the papers. The house was fairly quiet because Ethan was with Mark, visiting Derek and his land. She had some music playing in the background as she relaxed. She expected her parents would come to visit her and Ethan this evening, because in a few days their plane would be bringing them back to Canada, where they lived.

~x~

Mark and Derek sat on the small deck of Derek's trailer. Usually they would hang out at Meredith's, but they had Ethan with them. So they figured going to Meredith's wasn't the best idea. As the two men watched the small boy run around without a care in the world, they couldn't help but chat.

"I'm so shocked that you were the first one to have a kid out of us," Derek admitted to Mark. Mark chuckled gently. "And not only did you have the first kid, but he's freaking amazing. Are you sure you're the dad?" He joked.

Mark chuckled as he took a sip of his beer. "I wonder that every day," He admitted.

Ethan ran over to the two men and jumped up onto his dad's lap. "Uncle Derek," Ethan said uneasily, earning a grin from Derek. "Do you have any snacks? I'm hungry!"

"What do you say Ethan?" Mark asked, giving his son a small look. Mark knew Nina would have his head if he didn't try to teach the boy manners.

Ethan winced at the scolding tone, "Please Uncle Derek."

Derek stood up, setting his beer bottle down. "Sure little man, let me go check," He said and walked into the trailer. He came back with some chips and cheese. "There isn't much in there though. I don't spend a lot of time here anymore." Derek explained giving him the food.

"Thank you!" Ethan said as he began to shovel food into his mouth. After he finished, he rushed back down the small steps to go back to playing with whatever he was before.

Mark turned to Derek, "Thanks," He said. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Derek said turning to look at where Ethan had run off to. He knew that there was some dangerous stuff up here so he wanted to make sure the boy was alright. He knew the wrath of his best friend.

"When you and Meredith split after Addie," Mark began, "And then got back together when she was with the Vet. When did you know it was time to have sex again?"

"We just went for it," Derek said shrugging his shoulders, taking a sip of his beer. "Actually, we had sex again when we were supposed to be in committed relationships with other people. Something just drew us together."

Mark nodded and looked very thoughtful.

"Have you and Nina not had sex yet?" Derek asked surprised, earning a blush from Mark and a glare. "Holy, you haven't! I'm shocked, Mark, I am. Aren't you supposed to be some sex god with the ladies?"

"Oh shut up Derek," Mark said blushing. He took a large gulp of beer.

Derek started to laugh when they heard, "Daddy you've gotta pay 25 cents to the swear jar!" from Ethan. Mark sighed and grumbled, earning a louder laugh from Derek.

~x~

The next morning, Nina came to work with Ethan by her side. Her son was grumbling because they were supposed to go school supplies shopping after work and daycare. And then go to dinner with his grandparents, Joseph and Linda.

They walked together towards the elevator when Nina spotted her poor excuse for a sister trying to deal with a pissed off child.

"Ariana please, not right now-"

"I WANT DADDY!" Ariana yelled at her mother, throwing her tiny fists and kicking her legs as Carly tried to deal with her. "I DON'T WANT YOU NO MORE!"

Carly winced when Ariana kicked her hard in the leg. Even though Nina seriously hated this woman, she knew what it was like to deal with a pissed off kid. She walked over and tried to help. Ethan stood beside Michael who looked seriously ready to hide under a rock and never come out. Ethan was glad he didn't have siblings.

"Hey Ariana, come on, why don't we go find your daddy?" Nina asked, causing the kid to stop fighting her mother. "But you've gotta stop kicking your mom. Deal?"

"Deal," Ariana said looking up at Nina like she was some sort of angel.

Nina looked at Ethan and led them to the nurses' station. "Can you have both Mark Sloan paged here and Lucas O'Connor, please?" Nina asked the nurse.

The nurse nodded and had both surgeons paged. Within minutes, both men appeared. Carly stood off to the side watching as her kids ran to their dad to see him. Lucas wrapped his arms around Ariana. Michael went to hug his dad and Lucas looked unsure for a moment before pulling Michael into a hug as well.

Nina noticed the pause from Lucas and wondered what that was about. She turned to face Mark who looked utterly confused as to why he was there. "Hey babe," Mark greed and stole a kiss. He was wearing skinny jeans, his black t-shirt, a jacket and his hair was styled. He looked comfortable.

Nina smiled and kissed him back. "Good morning handsome,"

Mark grinned. Ethan waited for his parents to pull apart before he rushed forward and had Mark pick him up. "So why exactly was I paged?" He asked in a joking manner. "I was almost to the lounge to change into my scrubs."

"I had a question," Nina explained as the family started for the elevator again. Mark made a humming noise to show her that he was listening. Ethan, thankfully, stayed somewhat silent as the parents talked; though he was playing with Mark's shirt. "Ethan and I are going to dinner with my parents. And I was wondering if you maybe you'd like to come?"

"Nina I'm not good-"

"Please daddy," Ethan said catching his father's attention. "All they talk about is how mommy needs a husband- whatever that is, and how I need a daddy. I have a daddy so I don't need someone else."

Both adults remembered the last time Ethan thought he was getting a new daddy. Both shivered and winced.

Mark couldn't take the pouting. Ethan knew how easily it was to get his dad to do what he wanted; all he had to do was pout and beg. "Fine, but you have to do extra chores for your mom this week,"

"Deal!" Ethan's whole face brightened. Nina couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face.

~x~

Mark stood in the lounge, ready to head to the church for the wedding. He wouldn't be able to attend the party afterwards, but he wanted to be there for his best friend, as he was the best man. He fixed his tie looking in the mirror. Derek was in the bathroom freshening up.

Nina appeared. She was wearing a dress that reached about her mid-thigh; thick white straps that were about four fingers together in width; a flowing shirt that was a pale pink, almost a nude color that showed off her long legs. Around the middle, a large nude color bow was in the front. The white top part of the dress was a v-neck but of course, modest. To finish the look off, Nina was wearing white _Highness Heels_. Her brown hair was curled and resting on her shoulders nicely. Her eyes were done up in a smoky eye way, long eyelashes and nude lips. Over all, Nina looked hot.

Mark was utterly stunned by the sight of her. His mouth fell open at the sight of the beautiful woman- and she was _his_. "Close your mouth darling, or else flies are gonna land inside," Nina joked.

He wet his lips and nodded. He closed his mouth. "Wow Nina, you…you look amazing,"

She smiled, "Thanks sweetie. You don't look so bad yourself." She winked.

Derek exited the bathroom. "Mark, are you ready to go yet?"

Mark nodded. "Yeah, I am," he mused.

Derek turned and around Nina standing there. "Hey Nina," He greeted as he finished checking himself in the mirror. "Are you coming to the wedding?"

"Mark asked me to be his date," Nina explained. "Even though I don't know them too well, I figured I'd go. But Mark and I aren't staying long. He's meeting my parents, officially."

Derek turned to his friend, "Already?"

"Ethan begged me," Mark caved. "I couldn't say no to him."

Derek laughed. "Well this is going to be eventful."

"Shut up," Mark sighed.

~x~

Nina sat down with Ethan in the middle and Mark on the other side of Ethan. The couple figured the best way to keep Ethan calm and quiet was to be in the middle. Ethan wore black dress pants, black dress shoes and a blue button up that brought out the blue in his eyes.

As they waited for the wedding to begin, Ethan began to ramble about his grandparents to Mark, trying to "help" him. It was only causing Mark to tense more. From what he understood, the Knights did not like him. He had broken Nina's heart. He had left her pregnant. He had let her run out of his life with his kid. And he wasn't your perfect husband type, he was a player.

However, that was changing. He didn't want to lose Nina again.

The music began and their heads all turned to look at Meredith Grey who walked down the aisle. Meredith flashed a warm smile to Derek as she walked towards Alex Karev- the groom. Next, Cristina Yang walked down the aisle lazily. Nina found it amusing that Izzie (the bride) had asked for Cristina instead of George O'Malley to be her Maid of Honor.

The whole group stood as Izzie appeared. The sick bride walked slowly towards her future. Nina couldn't help but imagine what her wedding would have been like if Mark hadn't of convinced her to get married in the courthouse. Mark picked up Ethan so he could see what was going on.

Halfway down, Izzie started to stumble a little. Nina spotted Carly itching to go help her only friend at Seattle Grace. However, George stepped in and walked Izzie down the rest of the way.

Finally, Izzie reached Alex. Alex offered her his hand and helped her up the few steps. The wedding began and the hospital watched with stars in their eyes as Izzie and Alex got married.

~x~

After the ceremony was over, Nina led Mark and Ethan to the car. Ethan was rambling about who he would get married to. He had told his daddy that if he wasn't going to put a ring on his mom's finger, then Ethan was going to marry her. Nina had laughed and Mark wondered if his son was serious.

The group headed to the restaurant that they were supposed to be meeting Nina's parents at. They were led to the correct table and sat down with menus. Joseph and Linda were nowhere in sight.

Ethan sat beside his dad so his dad didn't have to sit beside Joseph or Linda. Nina took the other side of Mark, so that he was safe. Minutes later, Joseph and Linda appeared with their two other grandchildren, Carly and an awkward looking Lucas.

Linda smiled brightly at Nina, "Oh Nina Marie, we have great news!"

Nina looked confused. "What is it?"

"Michael is Lucas' son!" Linda gushed with excitement. Michael couldn't look at his mom; he was so disgusted by her. Ariana was holding her dad's hand looking at the three people at the table oddly. "Oh, hello. I didn't know we were having another guest," Linda said slightly coolly.

"Ethan invited Mark," Nina said before her mother could bother Mark even more. Her parents sat down as did Carly, Lucas, Michael and Ariana. "I didn't know you were inviting anyone else, _mother_."

Joseph shot his daughter a look. "Don't be rude to yer mother, Nina Marie."

Nina looked down at her menu with a scowl. "Yes daddy,"

Carly sat beside Ariana and Linda. Linda sat beside Joseph and Joseph sat beside Nina. Beside Nina was Mark, then Ethan, Michael, Lucas, Ariana and finally Carly.

"So what are you having pumpkin?" Linda asked, turning to Ariana. Ethan slumped back into his chair as his aunt's family talked, "Ethan, dear, sit up straight! Knights do not slouch!"

He winced and sat up straighter. Mark looked down at his son and smiled softly. "Hey Ethan, why don't we look at what there is," He offered. Ethan nodded. "Doesn't this _Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs_ look yummy?" They were at an Italian restaurant. "I think I'll have it." Mark said.

"Me too!" Ethan said grinning.

His grandparents scolded him and Ethan looked down in shame. Mark frowned, hating that these people thought they could treat his son so rudely.

Nina sighed, "Mother, please. Ethan just likes to be exactly like Mark."

"Who exactly is Mark? And why is he at our family dinner?" Joseph asked, his voice dripping with annoyance and turning to glare at Mark. Mark shrunk further into his chair.

Nina turned to her father. "Father, Mark is my boyfriend." Both Linda and Joseph looked disgusted and appalled. "And, he's Ethan's father."

"Wait!" Linda said causing the whole table to fall silent. "Are you telling us that this man is the man that cheated on you? That this is the man that slept with your sister and may have been Michael's father?"

Nina turned to look at Carly who wouldn't look at anyone, and then to Lucas who looked disgusted with the thought. "Wait, what is she exactly talking about?" Nina asked but nobody answered. Joseph was shaking his head. Nina turned to Mark. "Did you know about this?"

"What? No, I did not!" Mark frowned. "I didn't even know-"

"You're the guy who ruined my parents' marriage?" Michael finally stood up and Mark looked utterly stunned. Michael was angry. "How can you sit there and act like you didn't know. You're a man whore! Why don't you do us all a favor and leave? You only cause problems!"

"Don't talk to my daddy like that!" Ethan, too, stood up and glared at his cousin. "If my daddy says he didn't know then he didn't know. If anyone is the whore, it's _your mommy_."

The two boys faced each other. Michael threw the first punch and hit Ethan in the cheek. Since both boys sat beside their fathers, the fathers jumped to their feet. But Ethan was throwing his first ever punch. It hit Michael in the face as well, but it wasn't as strong as Michael's. Ethan's lip was bleeding and then Michael punched him again. It hit Ethan in the eye and caused the boy to cry out. But this didn't stop Ethan from throwing a punch again and causing Michael to have a nosebleed.

Nina screamed as she tried to move to protect her baby. Mark and Lucas pulled the boys apart. Carly was utterly stunned. Linda was crying and Joseph was shouting. Ariana was staring at the two boys with a bored expression.

~x~

Mark, Nina and Ethan left to go back to the hospital to have Ethan's face checked out. Nina grabbed Arizona to look at Ethan. It appeared the boy would be alright so the family left to go back to Nina's apartment.

"I can't believe you punched that kid, Ethan." Nina said pacing in front of the couch. Mark was in the kitchen wrapping a bag of frozen peas so Ethan could hold it to his blackening eye. "Especially in front of your grandparents! Do you have any idea what you've caused?"

"He called my daddy a bad name," Ethan said bitterly as Mark handed him the wrapped bag. Ethan put it to his eye.

Nina wanted to pull her hair out. "You're going to be seven soon, Ethan. You can't….you can't act like this anymore. Yes, Michael called your dad a bad name and yes, I would want to punch him as well! But we can't all go around punching people." Nina stressed.

Ethan could feel tears flood his eyes. "I won't let people bad mouth my daddy! He's a good man, mommy!"

Mark was honored by the sire faith his son had in him. That he believed so strongly that Mark was _good_.

"Yes, he is a good man Ethan. I know that, but once upon a time he wasn't!" Nina wanted to tell Ethan everything. She wanted to explain to him why Mark only just came back into their lives. But she couldn't.

Ethan turned to glare at his mother. "I HATE YOU!" He shouted, "YOU'RE LYING! DADDY IS THE BEST DADDY IN THE WORLD! I HATE YOU!" Ethan jumped from the couch, holding the peas in his small hands before he ran to his room, slamming the door shut and running to his bed to cry into his pillow.

Nina stood frozen in front of the couch. She was stunned by her son's outburst. Mark stared at his girlfriend in shock. Mark couldn't begin to understand why Nina wanted Ethan to think he was bad or to know about their past. It was only in the past.

She could feel the tears begin to roll down her cheeks and she sat on the couch. Mark knew he wanted to be mad at her, but he knew also that Nina needed him. Ethan needed a few minutes to cool down. "Why?" He asked.

She couldn't look at him. "He's going to hear about it soon. He knows you slept with Carly now. It won't be long before he finds out just how many people you've slept with." She said bitterly. "And I want him to be ready in case you decide you don't want to be with me anymore."

Mark could feel hurt fill him. "You're waiting for me to fail," He stated. "Then what the hell are we doing together Nina, huh?"

She began to cry while Mark turned, grabbed his coat, put on his shoes and left her as she cried.

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **Here's to Future Days**_ : Mark and Nina aren't talking. Ethan is mad at his mom and refuses to even look at her. It's when Mark sees Alex Karev worrying over Izzie, who may just die, that he releases that he can't be without Nina. And if she was the one with cancer, he'd want to be there every step of the way. But is this little family Mark has made for himself able to come back together?

 **Hey guys, sorry for the delay. It was Easter for me yesterday (Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it) and I was busy with my family. I've been holding off writing because this chapter just didn't want to be written. But now it is and up for you all to read.**

 **I've decided to keep Hidden Truths just one story for awhile. If I feel like it's getting too long, I will either finish it completely or start another story. Sound good? And I've also decided to bump the rating up to M. I will bump it up when it's actually time and smut has come up. Okay? Now here's what I want to know what you guys would like to see:**

 **-Should Lucas and Carly work through their marriage and stay together? Or should they break up?**

 **-Should Nina and Mark make up?**

 **-Should Ethan want to move in with Mark instead of his mom? Or should he forgive his mom?**

 **-Should I kill off Izzie?**

 **-Should Nina get into an accident or get really sick to make it officially real for Mark that he may lose her?**

 **-Should Ethan and Michael break out into another brawl?**

 **Anyway, thanks again for reading** _ **Hidden Truths**_ **. Updates are on Mondays and Fridays. Let me know your thoughts and I will get back to you all on Friday! Also, if you guys go to Youtube and look up "kashi st. peter hidden truths" you will come across a small playlist I'm slowly putting together for this story. Some songs I just think go well with the story or I used it in the story. ENJOY!**

 **Nerdy~**

 **REVIEW!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's.**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **Leah Tatyana Nicole**_ : Good idea. Great idea actually! I like it. We'll see how well that goes actually ;)  
 _ **Guest**_ : Hey it's okay. I'm sorry if I offended you with Google translate. I haven't been in a French class since…grade nine for me. And I'm in grade eleven now.  
 _ **Spencee98**_ : You'll have to see if Carly/Lucas and Mina stay together ;) We'll also see if Ethan will move in with Mark. The same goes with Izzie. Who knows? Ethan is going to be 7 soon. Michael is about 4 months younger than Ethan is.  
 _ **h**_ : I'm glad to hear that you'll still read this if it's bumped to M! And yes, Nina could have gone about it in a better way, but I feel like she was also stressed out. Her son called her sister a whore. And her nephew called her boyfriend a whore and thus, caused a fight to break out. Anyway, ENJOY!  
 _ **Mrs. Donald Flack Jr**_ : I enjoy the ideas actually. You may have just convinced me to send Ethan to live with Mark ;) We'll have to see what happens to Izzie and if Nina gets sick. ENJOY!  
 _ **Steffie G**_ : WELCOME TO THIS STORY AND THIS FAMILY! I'm glad you're enjoying it. :) I've been really worried that people will hate Nina because she is an OC but so far, everyone seems to like her which is AMAZING. You may some great points about Carly. Why exactly did she sleep with Mark? I honestly haven't figured it out completely myself. She just doesn't like Nina and she hates her for being "the miracle child" I guess. And we shall see what happens to Nina in the future. ;) Enjoy!

~x~

Chapter 16: Here's to Future Days

~x~

 **(AN: This chapter did not want to come together so sorry if it isn't as good as previous chapters.)**

~x~

It had been five days since Izzie and Alex's wedding. Carly had stayed in the hospital day in and day out, over night and basically lived in the hospital while Izzie fought her cancer. Things were beginning to look up for Izzie if Carly said so herself. The chemo was making Izzie sick, yes, but it was also helping, slowly.

Carly hadn't been home in five days. Lucas had taken Michael and Ariana home to his small apartment he had found. She had only seen her kids when she went to check on them in daycare. Michael was still very upset with her and hadn't bothered looking at her, nor was he forgiving of Ethan. Ariana didn't seem to have taken a side.

Carly and Lucas weren't the only couple suffering from the "big reveal" of Michael's parentage. Mark was outraged and Nina was upset. The couple haven't been able to look at each other in days. Not a word had been uttered since the Knight family dinner between them. Ethan had been silent as well; unable to even look at his mother since she had told him "his dad wasn't a good man".

But at least Izzie and Alex were happy, sort of. Izzie's cancer was leering over their heads, taunting them with her possible timely death. Meredith and Derek seemed happy. They couldn't keep their hands off each other after giving "their" wedding to Alex and Izzie. Cristina and Owen were doing their best with therapy for Owen's nightmares.

~x~

Nina wandered into the lunch room, her head hanging slightly and her eyes blank. She missed Ethan and she missed Mark. She hadn't properly spoken to her son in days and she hadn't heard his voice since their fight…since he shouted "I hate you" at her.

She didn't feel up to eat and just sat down across from Callie. Arizona sat on Callie's left. "Hey Nina," Arizona greeted with her cheerful voice.

"Nina? Are you okay?" Callie asked, noticing how upset her friend was.

Nina shook her head. "Ethan hasn't spoken; no less _looked at me_ in five days. And Mark hasn't spoken to me outside of work since Izzie's wedding either! God, what am I doing? I miss him and I miss Ethan." She hit her head on the table and she held back tears.

Callie and Arizona share a look. "Have you tried talking to Mark about it?" Callie asked, trying to offer some help.

"I've tried everything! He won't even call me Nina," Nina said in a whimpering voice, "He calls me _'Doctor Knight'_. Oh god, is our relationship over?"

"Whoa, whoa," Arizona said trying to stop Nina from having a breakdown, "Couples right all the time. You just have to give Mark his space. He'll come around."

Nina lifted her head; her eyes were blood shot from all the crying she had been doing the night before. Her brown hair was greasy from not washing it either. She was a mess and the other couple silently winced at the sight. "You really think so?" Nina asked, her voice holding some hope that Mark would reconsider everything and take her back. "But I was so mean…I basically told Ethan that Mark was a bad guy. I told him that I was waiting for him to cheat or leave me!"

"Ouch, harsh," Callie said without thinking. Nina looked down in shame. "But Mark is also a grown man. He'll come around. He loves you so much Nina."

"Callie!" Arizona said in a warning tune, both women turning to see how upset Nina truly was.

"What? It's true," Callie pointed out.

"I think the next step for Mark and I is to break up…." Nina said sadly.

"Oh no," Callie said in a firm voice, turning to Nina. "You are not breaking up my Mina."

"Huh?" Nina blinked in confusion, still holding back her tears. Arizona turned to look at her girlfriend in slight confusion as well.

Callie rolled her eyes, "You and Mark! Ya know your couple name? Like Arizona and my couple name is Calzona! Yours and Mark's is Mina. So don't go breaking up my ship, Nina Knight." Callie crossed her arms over her ample chest.

Nina and Arizona looked at each other before turning to Callie. "Where do you exactly come up with these things, Calliope?" Arizona said dreamily, smiling at her girlfriend.

Nina nodded in agreement. "Aren't you supposed to be a surgical resident?" Nina slightly joked. Callie scowled as Arizona laughed, Callie hitting Nina in the arm. At least Nina was smiling instead of looking like death.

"The next step is to make you take a shower," Callie said ignoring the women who made fun of her for her ship names. Nina blinked in confusion. "You smell disgusting and I'm sure your patients would be thankful if you did. Hey, maybe if you shower Ethan and Mark may talk to you." She teased.

~x~

Mark was writing in a chart by the OR nurses' station. It was as he stood there that he spotted Alex Karev and Izzie Stevens moving towards the OR doors. He glanced up at the board and realized Izzie was going into yet another brain surgery.

Alex looked overtaken with emotion, begging for Izzie to rip up her DNR. "Please Iz; our life together has only just begun. And if you…and if you die in there, our life ends just like that. And I'm not ready to say goodbye to you, Izzie, please." Alex begged.

Izzie looked up at Alex with a weak smile. "I understand why Denny did it, Alex, why he originally signed his DNR."

"And you hated it when Denny did it, why are you doing it now? Why are you doing this to me?" Alex said with a broken voice.

She only smiled at him. "I understand now, and I get it. Don't you? I don't want to be a vegetable." Izzie said softly. "Just kiss me."

Mark was stunned by the sight. Alex grumbled but he leaned down to kiss his wife. "I don't like this Iz; I don't like this at all."

She just smiled at him. "I love you,"

Mark wondered if Alex was going to rip up the DNR himself, but Alex just whispered, "I love you," back to Izzie before kissing her passionately. Mark could only imagine what would happen if Izzie was Nina. It made his heart break and he knew he'd want to be there every step of the way for her. Because he loved Nina!

He had to find Nina.

~x~

Nina was ready to head home. Ethan would be going home with her because Mark had to stay late tonight. They had had their residents bring messages back and forth to talk about it. Ethan was standing behind Nina, a few steps behind her, his arms crossed and a pout on his face. Nina was finishing some paperwork.

"Um excuse me?"

Nina turned around and found a very attractive young man standing before her. He flashed her a warm smile causing her to blink in surprise. "Yes?" She asked, wondering who this man was.

"Hi, my name is Doctor Kian Valentine," Kian said as he smiled holding out his hand. Nina took it and shook it. "I'm looking for Richard Webber."

"The Chief?" Nina asked, shaking his hand. Then she pulled hers back and stared at the man. Kian was tall, a little taller than Mark actually. He had dark messy hair, a near raven black color. He had scribble, thick eyebrows, thin lips and the most beautiful blue eyes. What was it with Nina and falling for guys with blue eyes? "Is he expecting you?"

"Well, yes," Kian said looking at her strangely. "He called me here to fill in his Head of Orthopaedic Surgery."

Kian just got hotter.

~x~

Mark was thinking of what to say to Nina to win her back. He would forgive her, take her out to dinner after his shift and then hopefully they could cuddle once they were home. However, all his plans came crumbling down when he spotted Nina talking to a stranger.

Ethan spotted his dad and made his way over, rushing to him. "Daddy," He said looking up at him. "I thought I was going home with mommy."

"You are…" Mark walked over, holding onto Ethan's hand. "Nina?"

She turned and so did the handsome stranger. "Oh Mark! Hi, um…I thought you were busy with work?"

"I came to find you to ask you to dinner…" Mark said looking this man up and down. He looked tough. "Who is this guy?"

"Kian Valentine," Kian held out his hand. "Possibly new Head of Ortho. And you are?"

Mark looked annoyed. "Mark Sloan, Head of Plastics," He said firmly. "And I'm Nina's boyfriend."

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **Now or Never**_ : Izzie's fate is decided. George has joined the army. Meredith and Derek get "married" on a post-it note. Kian is hired as a new surgeon. And Nina starts making googly eyes at Kian while Mark is desperate to keep Nina from slipping through his fingers.

 **Hey guys, again this chapter took FOREVER to write. I literally finished it around 10:30pm on Thursday so it can be up before I go to school. Someone also told me that they want a new doctor to show up to flirt with Nina. So thus, Kian was born! If you're wondering what he looks like, I based him off Ian Somerhalder. ;)**

 **Next chapter is the last chapter of season 5. Just FYI!**

 **Please review and let me know what you think. I almost was like "Fuck it" and was gonna wait until Monday or Saturday to update. But I was like "Well…" and I knew you guys wouldn't want to wait. So this was born. A mess…**

 **I don't have Netflix right now so I can't wait the episodes to help me out… :( Let me know what you think!**

 **Nerdy~**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: A woman from Mark's past shows up at Seattle Grace. She isn't happy to see Mark, but, why exactly is that?**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's.**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **Leah Tatyana Nicole**_ : what exactly have you been waiting for? O.o  
 _ **Mrs. Donald Flack Jr**_ : Yes, it was fun to write and Callie seems like the sort to have ships. It is true though, Mark should work a little harder. He was the one who screwed up their relationship by sleeping with Carly. Enjoy!  
 _ **h**_ : Hopefully. xD We'll have to see how Mark reacts to Kian. Enjoy!  
 _ **animelover78861**_ : I'm so glad you love this story. :) I enjoy writing! And here's what I picture the surgeons, I sort of based them off celebrities. Nina is sort of based off Nina Dobrev but obviously has green eyes instead of brown. My friend who created Carly I believe based her off Victoria Justice. I sort of based Lucas off Sam Claflin but his eyes are more of a blue/green mix. Kian Valentine is based off Ian Somerhalder. Anyway, enjoy chapter 17!

~x~

Chapter 17: Now or Never

~x~

 **(AN: I guess I messed up the chapters. Izzie is supposed to go into surgery this chapter… WHOOPS! Oh well~ And enjoy the last chapter of season 5!)**

Miranda Bailey entered Izzie's room, looking around at the residents who had fallen asleep in varies positions and spaces. She looked at her old interns and simply shook her head, a small smile spreading across her face at the sight of such loyalty. They would be great surgeons one day.

They each had claimed a very uncomfortable chair, using pillows and blankets to try to sleep. Izzie rested in the middle, on her medical bed. Bailey looked at each resident with a slight fondness in her eyes. The old food however, made her crinkle her nose. Alex was the first to move and awaken after spotting Bailey from his half closed eyes.

Bailey looked at Izzie's vitals. "Any changes over night?" She asked, worrying but also hoping that Izzie would wake up soon after her long surgery. The second tumor removal had been tough on everyone, not just Izzie.

Cristina answered, "No." She stated before stretching.

George was still passed out but Meredith started to come around from her 'sleep'. Alex reached for Izzie's hand, holding onto it and began to rub it. A pager went off and woke George. Bailey looked at it. "It's the Chief," She sighed, "Somebody better go make a coffee run. You all look like hell."

Bailey left.

"I've gotta be in surgery in ten minutes," George said trying to sit up before bending down to put his shoes back on. He was very groggy. "Mere, will you let me know?"

"Yeah," Meredith replied sleepily. "We should probably go too. It's going to be awhile."

Cristina nodded as she stretched.

"Shepherd said she'd wake up in the morning," Alex began to grill Meredith for answers. "What did he tell you? Is it all crap? _What did he say?_ "

Meredith stood and faced Alex. "He said it may be awhile," Meredith left.

"She'll wake up," Cristina whispered before exiting the room. She looked over her shoulder and spotted George and Owen speaking to one another. They shook hands and then hugged. Cristina wasn't sure how to feel about it, but she knew she had a cardio case today, at least.

~x~

Nina was sitting in the cafeteria, Ethan sitting across from her eating his breakfast as she sipped on some coffee. She wanted to try to spend more time with her son since now he seemed to be interested in speaking with her. Her mind however, was not on breakfast but on the new ortho surgeon. He infected her brain and caused her to nearly drool.

He seemed so kind…he seemed so attractive.

She was pulled from her thoughts when someone sat down beside them. Nina looked up and found Mark sitting there. "Good morning," Mark said as he leaned over to kiss Ethan's forehead and then turned to Nina. She supposed he still hadn't fully forgiven her.

"Hey daddy," Ethan greeted. He went back to stuffing pancake into his mouth, looking awfully content as he did that. He tried to speak but his mother gave him a slight scolding look. He swallowed. "Sorry," He blushed, "Are you spending the night with us tonight? Mommy says she'll rent a movie for us!"

Mark turned to his son. "I'd love to," he said earning a wide grin from Ethan. "Should I bring home some pizza?"

Ethan shook his head, "Nah! I wanna have tacos!"

"Tacos eh?" Mark mused with a small chuckle. "Maybe mommy will make tacos."

Both turned to Nina. "Sure, I'm up for making tacos. As long as you eat your fruits, Ethan." She said nodding to the strawberries and pineapple on his plate. Ethan nodded quickly and started stuffing his face with the fruit.

Ethan couldn't stop the bright smile that was on his face.

~x~

Nina was standing by the Neuro nurses' station, watching as Alex shouted at his wife to wake up. She knew that what was going on for him sucked. She wished she could be more help but alas, she was a heart woman.

"I didn't expect you to be here,"

Nina turned and found Carly standing there, looking dirty and like she hadn't properly slept in days and yet…she still looked put together. Carly walked over and stood beside Nina even though the other brunette didn't look at all pleased with the idea of being so close.

"She's affecting my resident," Nina mused. She never cared for Izzie nor did she have a feeling the blonde could be a true surgeon. She was too busy diving into the lives of other people and cared too much- Nina saw her more as a nurse than a surgical resident. "You look like shit."

Carly shrugged her shoulders. "I feel like shit," Carly admitted. Nina wasn't sure why the woman she hated the most was talking to her. Maybe Carly's marriage was falling apart so badly that she turned to her sister for help. _Serves her right_ , Nina thought. "I've been here day and night since the family dinner. I've been watching over Izzie." She nodded to her patient.

"Why? She isn't a child," Nina knew that much about Carly's job.

"She's a friend to me," Carly looked at Nina. "I am utterly Satan as you so rudely deemed me. I do have feelings you know." She turned and looked onward to Izzie.

Alex started to shake Izzie to wake her up when… "SHE WOKE UP! SOMEONE PAGE SHEPHERD!" Alex shouted to a nurse. Izzie Stevens had awoken.

~x~

Nina was paged down to the ER. Standing beside Callie Torres is one Kian Valentine, causing Nina's heart to flutter. Kian stood beside Owen talking about how to handle this. Nina moved forward. "Someone paged Cardio?" She asked curiously.

"Yes we didn't know the existent damage, but one was hit and dragged along by a bus." Owen explained, glancing up at Nina before returning to talking to Kian.

Callie moved over to stand beside Nina. "So this is a really bad trauma," Callie said shifting.

Nina agreed. "Yeah, I feel bad for the patient."

Meredith noticed Callie and Nina talking. Feeling left out, she went to step closer to talk as well when the paramedics roll up and start loading out two patients. One didn't look human at all as he was covered in bandages and the other was a trembling woman by the name of Amanda.

The John Doe, being clamped down, posed difficulty and the paramedics were unable to intubate and so are furiously squeezing the ventilation bag as they wheel him into the ER. Nina figuring that the John Doe needed her, stepped up and started listening to the paramedics talk quickly, telling her as much as they knew.

Meredith moved forward as well to the John Doe but he only seemed to hold onto her hand helplessly.

"Will he be okay?" Amanda asked helplessly. She ran into the trauma room and started explaining how she didn't see the bus and that the John Doe had pushed her out of the way.

Nina found it oddly heroic but also terribly stupid.

Finally, he stabilized after Nina did CPR and got his heart pumping again. Nina had Meredith remove the bandages and the face that appeared caused Amanda to throw up in the corner of the trauma room. "Someone page Sloan and Shepherd," Nina stated, turning to glance over at the nurse.

"Right away doctor," the nurse said before going to do as she was asked.

"Get her out right now!" Callie ordered, glaring at Lexie who had allowed Amanda into the room. Lexie led the shaking woman out of the room even though she didn't look like she wanted to.

~x~

Nina was standing guard in case the man's heart stopped again. Mark was the first to appear out of the two. "Whoa," He mused.

Callie nodded. "Man vs. Bus,"

"Looks like the bus won," Mark said. He went to check over the man but he was crashing. Mark winced.

Derek appeared next as Nina stepped into help. "What do we got?" Derek asked.

"Road kill," Mark said earning a glare and a slap from Nina.

"This man is a hero, Mark." Nina stated. Owen nodded his thanks. "He pushed a woman out of the way so she didn't get hit by a bus. He did this for a stranger, so let's save his life so she can properly thank him."

Derek had Meredith drill a hole into the man's head. Nina stood frozen for a moment as she tried to stabilize him and then he was. John Doe's eye opened and Nina spotted it.

Mark left to grab some stuff. "Welcome back, sir, you had us worried there for a minute." Meredith said.

The man's one eye looked up at them. His eye looked oddly familiar to Nina.

~x~

It was as they were cleaning up the trauma room, the man laying in the middle of the chaos. "WHAT did you do to O'Malley?" Miranda Bailey appeared her face firm and her voice hard.

"Excuse me?" Owen asked, turning to look at the woman.

Nina was making it so it was easier to move the man in case they had to. "Uh, is somebody else around here likely to convince someone to join the army and become a trauma surgeon in Iraq?" Miranda Bailey was mad. She was protective over her old interns.

"WHAT?" Callie exclaimed turning to look at the redhead.

"The _ARMY_?" Meredith gasped at the same time.

Beeping filled the room and Nina moved forward. "We need to focus on this man. His life is at risk! Charge paddles to 360!" She ordered, the nurse handing her the paddles. She yelled out clear and then the John Doe's body jumped at the shock. Bailey and Owen argued about George while Callie looked like she was ready to faint. George O'Malley had been her husband once upon a time.

"Rhythm," Meredith stated, "It's small but it's there."

"We need to stabilize the pelvis." Owen stated. They moved John Doe, "Please sir, stay alive for a few minutes so we can get to the Angio."

~x~

Nina was standing in the doctor's lounge, grabbing some coffee. Callie was sitting on a chair, silently brooding. Nina wondered what had put her on such an edge but then remembered George. Personally, she didn't care for the man. He was good in trauma from what she had seen, but he showed little interest in hearts nor did he seem interested in learning from her. But, it wasn't her place to judge. "Callie?" Nina started, bringing over some coffee for Callie. She handed it to her friend who gladly took it. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Callie took a sip of her coffee. "I don't know," She said honestly. "On one hand, I can't stop thinking about George. I'm not in love with him or anything but I still love him. And just thinking about him going over there and getting killed…"

She fell silent and stared into the cup.

Nina was silent as she listened. "I'm sure you'll change his mind. I heard Bailey's plans to stop him. Not only is she using Grey and Yang, but she's using Stevens' cancer eyes." She pointed out. "Why wouldn't he decide to stay?"

Callie nodded. "You're right,"

"And if somehow he still decides to go, there's always Karev who will change his mind." Nina said smiling gently. She took a sip of her coffee.

Callie smiled sadly. A moment later, Arizona entered. She looked steaming. Nina had heard that Bailey was thinking about turning down the Peds fellowship and Nina knew how much Arizona prized Bailey. If the woman wasn't already scooped up, Nina would have tried to steal her for Cardio.

"I may not understand George, but to me, he is a patriot." Arizona stated, Callie turning to look at her girlfriend with hurt and anger in her eyes. "Yes I think it's awesome what he is doing because it is people like him that keep people like us safe. He's going to save people Callie. He's going to save people like my brother who came home in a body bag because there weren't enough doctors."

Arizona looked ready to cry. Nina wanted to get up and hug the blonde but Callie stopped Arizona from leaving the room. "I'm sorry," She whispered.

Nina figured this was the best time to leave the couple alone and she stood to leave.

~x~

Mark was secretly looking at houses for him, Nina and Ethan. He figured that the tiny apartment that Nina had wouldn't fit them for long. He could see them adding another kid or two and a dog to their family.

He could already imagine having another son and a daughter. He always liked the names Delilah and Emma for a girl. It was as he was looking through the houses that Lexie walked over to him. "Mark," She began.

He turned and was surprised to find Lexie. He wasn't expecting her nor had he thought about her in a long time. After he had broken it off with Lexie, he was with Nina now and he was happy. He had everything he could ever want. A woman who wanted him, a happy son and an amazing job…but something was also drawing him in to be with Lexie. Just something about her drew him in.

"Hey Little Grey," Mark greeted her. She walked over to him. He was in his office, staring at houses and she felt hopeful. "What can I do for you?"

Mark was trying to at least act civil with her.

"Why are you looking at houses?" Lexie asked.

He shrugged, turning back to the screen. "I'm hoping to find one that I can surprise Nina with; I figure her apartment is too small for us."

Lexie looked a little hurt, but she covered it up. "And if she says no?"

"Well," Mark said thoughtfully, "I'll just buy my own house. And when she's ready, the door will be opened for her to come live with me."

Lexie stared at him with pain in her eyes. "Are you trying to make me feel jealous? Because it's working Mark," She stated earning a bewildered look from her ex. "You're 'planning' on buying a house with Nina Knight. Do you seriously think I believe that? She's interested in that new Surgeon, McFoxy."

Mark stood, "Who?" He questioned, his voice dripping with annoyance. Who the hell was McFoxy?

"Ya know, Doctor Valentine? Everyone's calling him McFoxy." Lexie slightly smirked, knowing that she had grabbed Mark's attention. He turned and left his office, in search of his girlfriend.

~x~

It was like they were going in slow motion. One minute Nina was standing in the hallway content and the next minute, she was being pulled along by Callie, Owen and Derek to the OR. It was George. John Doe was George O'Malley.

Her heart was racing as she scrubbed in, chanting in her mind that it was going to be alright. She could faintly hear Derek reassuring Meredith that it was going to be okay. It caused a small flare of jealousy to rise up in Nina. She wanted Mark to offer her such comfort.

Now gowned, she moved to the edge of the table. Derek was calling out scalpel and then began to open George's head. Nina stood by as she tried to keep an eye on his heart. Meredith was beside George, holding his hand. Owen was standing on guard for George's life, his eyes locking with Nina's for a brief moment. "You're not going to go anywhere, George." Meredith stated firmly.

It was then that George's blood pressure dropped. Nina jumped in, "Shepherd, I've gotta crack his chest- the bleeding-"

"One minute, Doctor Knight." Derek said as he worked.

She was already trembling.

"We're losing him!" Owen shouted.

Nina could feel her heart breaking, holding out her hand. "Scalpel," She said ignoring Derek. Pressing down on his chest, she cracked open his chest. She opened his ribs and called for the crash cart, using the heart paddles to try and bring George back.

"Charge to 360!" Nina shouted, "CLEAR!" and then George's heart did a jump.

 _Did you say it?_

 _I love you._

 _I don't ever wanna live without you._

 _You changed my life._

 _Did you say it?_

 _Make a plan._

 _Set a goal._

 _Work towards it, but every now and then,_

 _Look around;_

 _Drink it up 'cause this is it._

 _It might all be gone tomorrow._

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **Good Mourning**_ : Owen, Derek, Meredith and Nina fight to save George's life. Bailey, Richard and Cristina fight to save Izzie's. However, death has come knocking and isn't leaving until he has claimed one of these two people's lives.

 **Hey guys. Welcome to the end of Season 5… Next chapter will be the beginning of season 6. Next chapter, I've decided, will have some Lucas/Carly in it. Nina's and Mark's relationship will be taking some hits but also some steps forward. Meredith and Derek are 'married' now, if you're wondering. I haven't decided if I will kill off George and keep Izzie, or kill off Izzie and keep George. Or maybe I'll kill them both off. Who knows! Let me know who you'd rather keep alive.**

 **Anyway, sorry for the wait on this chapter. I've gotten into** _ **The Last Ship**_ **\- Eric Dane's (Mark Sloan) new show. It's really good! You should all check it out! Until next time,**

 **Nerdy~**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: Nina must come to terms with her renewed relationship with Mark. Add in ex girlfriends, old flings and a surprise daughter that neither Nina nor Mark saw coming. And we can't forget little Ethan, who begins school and more secrets that both would rather keep hidden.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's.**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **Guest**_ : Exactly! I felt the same way, and I can honestly say that I don't like either Izzie or George.  
 _ **Spencer98**_ : I have a plan. Enjoy!  
 _ **Leah Tatyana Nicole**_ : Okay, makes sense. The fight I'm sure will come. Mark loves Nina and he has realized that he can't imagine life without her.  
 _ **Patsy**_ : The Last Ship is amazing! I love it so much! GAH! I'm only on Season 1 but literally, I am in love with it and usually this kind of show isn't my cup of tea. Who I shall kill off and who I won't will be revealed in this chapter… Read on, my lovely, read on. ;)  
 _ **h**_ : Yeah, I know right? I don't even like George but re-watching the scene made me want to cry. And yes another Mc name! What would this show be without its Mc names? Oh wait… Never mind. Enjoy!  
 _ **snmuenst**_ : What a unique name. Awesome! I get your point, Nina and Mark shouldn't let Lexie get between them. We'll have to wait and see if it does. Enjoy chapter 18!

~x~

Chapter 18: Good Mourning

 _It was like they were going in slow motion. One minute Nina was standing in the hallway content and the next minute, she was being pulled along by Callie, Owen and Derek to the OR. It was George. John Doe was George O'Malley._

 _Her heart was racing as she scrubbed in, chanting in her mind that it was going to be alright. She could faintly hear Derek reassuring Meredith that it was going to be okay. It caused a small flare of jealousy to rise up in Nina. She wanted Mark to offer her such comfort._

 _Now gowned, she moved to the edge of the table. Derek was calling out scalpel and then began to open George's head. Nina stood by as she tried to keep an eye on his heart. Meredith was beside George, holding his hand. Owen was standing on guard for George's life, his eyes locking with Nina's for a brief moment. "You're not going to go anywhere, George." Meredith stated firmly._

 _It was then that George's blood pressure dropped. Nina jumped in, "Shepherd, I've gotta crack his chest- the bleeding-"_

" _One minute, Doctor Knight." Derek said as he worked._

 _She was already trembling._

" _We're losing him!" Owen shouted._

 _Nina could feel her heart breaking, holding out her hand. "Scalpel," She said ignoring Derek. Pressing down on his chest, she cracked open his chest. She opened his ribs and called for the crash cart, using the heart paddles to try and bring George back._

" _Charge to 360!" Nina shouted, "CLEAR!" and then George's heart did a jump._

…

Nina's eyes stared down at George's un-beating heart, her eyes searching for movement. She refused to let him die. He had risked his life for another person, a stranger- the least Nina could do was save his life. "Charge again," She stated, as Derek tried to work in the brain. "CLEAR!"

The heart bounced once more. George's heart rate went back up and it started beating once more.

Nina set the paddles down and looked at Derek, "Do what you have to do." Nina stated looking at the other surgeon.

Derek nodded and got to work. Once he finished, they closed up and brought the very much alive George to the ICU.

~x~

After stating firm instructions, Nina dragged her feet away from the Neuro ICU, heading for the coffee stand to grab coffee. But then she heard shouting coming from down the hall. Nina moved forward, her heart racing because _what if_. She came to Izzie Stevens' room.

"Doctor Knight," Cristina said breathlessly, calling forth her mentor. Nina stepped over quickly, checking over Izzie's chart. "Please-"

"She signed a DNR," Nina said before the Chief shook his head. She understood and moved to help save the small blonde. "How long has she been down?" Nobody answered, "How long?" She hissed, turning to look at Richard as Cristina did compressions.

Richard swallowed, "Six minutes…"

Nina knew what that meant. But at the sight of Alex losing his shit crying made her heart ache. She pulled out the paddles and shouted, "Charge to 360!" before, "CLEAR!"

Izzie's body jumped.

It was no use. Ten minutes later and still no heartbeat, Nina knew she had to call it. "I'm calling it," She said causing Alex to shout out something like 'no' but Nina knew she had to ignore him. "This is why she signed a DNR. She didn't want this. Time of death," She looked down at her watch, "5:02pm."

Nina left shortly after.

She couldn't breathe, her eyes were becoming watery and she could barely see. She needed to get away from that room. Nina pushed past everyone, looking for Mark.

 _She needed_ _Mark_.

And there he stood, looking over some charts. Nina pushed forward, feeling a sob coming forth as she neared him. Mark heard her and looked up. She fell into his arms and a sob broke free from her throat. He wrapped his arms around her, unsure what was going on.

"Izzie Stevens is dead…" She gasped brokenly, "And I just called her time of death…"

~x~

 _ **Day 1**_

Meredith needed to find her friends. She felt a little better now that George's life was saved. He was resting in the ICU and had people watching him around the clock. She walked to Izzie's room, figuring that was where Cristina and Alex would be. Instead, she was greeted by the sight of Cristina trying to pry Alex away from Izzie's body which was being put into a body bag.

Meredith realized what had happened and moved forward, "Oh _God_."

Her voice broke as she stepped into the room, going over to Alex's side. Cristina just shook her head as Meredith felt tears flood her eyes. She had just spent the last few hours fighting for George's life and now just found out that Izzie had been doing the same.

"NO!" Alex shouted while reaching for his wife but it was no use. She was dead and they were unable to do anything. Her body was filled with cancer and Izzie was just dead. She was gone. Alex cried heavily as he fought weakly against Cristina.

Meredith moved forward and wrapped her arms around Alex, holding him as he fought. He only fought against them a moment longer before collapsing and breaking down in sobs. It appeared death had given them George but had taken Izzie.

~x~

"Is O'Malley a donor?"

Nina was standing nearby George's room, standing on guard in case he crashed again. Izzie's and George's mothers had been called. Mrs. O'Malley was on her way to see George. Robbie- Izzie's mom- was coming to collect her daughter's body.

"Excuse me?" Nina asked, turning to face the asshole who dared ask her while she fought to save George O'Malley's life if he was a donor.

There standing before her was Kian. He looked slightly embarrassed. "I know, not my forte, but still. There's people who-"

Nina felt angry. "That man in there is fighting for his life. He threw himself in front of a bus for someone else. The least we could do is fight for his life!" She shouted at Kian, earning looks from the nurses, interns, residents and the Attendings. "Go away." She turned back to her charts.

Kian's eyes hardened. "Aren't you going to at least ask? His organs could save lives, Doctor Knight!"

"Doctor Valentine," Nina turned to glare at him. "He needs his own organs!"

He huffed and turned on his heels.

It was then that Mrs. O'Malley appeared. She looked ready to burst into tears. _She must have heard me shouting at Kian._ Nina realized. "Are you Mrs. O'Malley?" Nina asked, stepping forward and towards the trembling woman.

She nodded weakly, "Yes…is G-Georgie going to be o-okay?"

Nina didn't know the answer. "I don't know, ma'am. But I do know that I will do everything in my power to make sure that he does survive."

"Thank you," Mrs. O'Malley whispered. She went to sit by her son's side.

~x~

 _ **Day 7**_

Nina found Mark sitting in the O'Malley room, carefully working on George's face and body. She stood by the door, watching him before she stepped inside. Mark looked up, expecting Louise O'Malley to enter the room with something to eat.

"I thought I told you it'd be okay? Go eat-"

Mark started to say before realizing it was in fact, Nina, and not Louise. "Sorry darling, I figured I'd stop by. I wanted to check on my patient," She explained as she stepped forward. She started checking George's vitals.

"Sorry, I thought you were Mrs. O'Malley." Mark replied as he returned to work.

Nina looked over Mark's shoulder from where she stood, which was beyond Mark, and looked at his work. "Its fine," She smiled. "He's looking much better."

"I agree," Mark nodded as he worked. "When do you think he'll wake up?"

"Soon, I hope," Nina let out a small sigh. George had been in a few surgeries in the past seven days. He was beginning to look like he had a fighting chance of survival. And the next surgery was for Mark to go in and properly reconstruct George's face. George had been in and out throughout the week since his near-death experience. She was silent as she checked George's vitals.

"Are we going to Izzie's funeral?" Mark asked out of the blue. Nina's heart clenched at the thought. She knew today was the day. They would be burying Izzie's body.

He turned to look at her to see if she was thinking which she was. Nina shrugged. "I want to, but I…well, I didn't know her very well. And what if George crashes? Who will look after him?"

"The Cardio attending on-call," Mark replied.

She shot him a look. "I'm being serious,"

"And so am I." Mark truly looked serious.

"Do you want to go?" Nina asked. Mark merely shrugged before returning to work. Nina went back to be quiet as she checked over everything. Finally, Nina spoke. "Mark, I think…I think I wanna have sex."

He nearly dropped what he was working on to turn and look at his girlfriend with wide eyes. Question shone in them.

Nina explained, "Alex didn't get the proper chance with Izzie. And I…I don't want to let you slip through my fingers." She tried to explain. She searched for the right words. "I think you're my ending Mark. There's been something from the get-go that has been bringing us together. Why else would we have rushed into things and yet everything felt so _right_? I think it was fate that brought me here. Fate brought me to you." She smiled gently.

Mark returned to work, his eyes bulging out of his head. "So we're going to do it…we're gonna have sex." He said slowly, seeing he was correct to assume.

"Yeah," Nina replied before she smiled brightly. "I'll see you tonight then?"

" _Tonight_?" Mark asked, his voice cracking a little.

"To go home, silly! After the funeral," Nina smiled at him softly.

He nodded. "Okay,"

Nina slipped out of the room.

~x~

 _ **Day 10**_

The sex didn't happen. Ethan ended up freaking out at Miranda Bailey's house and had to come home, thus Nina and Mark did not get adult time. Nobody would take Ethan any other day of the week.

Carly, Lucas, Michael and Ariana had returned to LA after Carly had a near break down. Carly wasn't able to make sense of Izzie's passing- her only friend. Seattle Grace felt oddly empty with the whole Carly/everyone drama that followed the young woman.

 _ **Day 13**_

It had been 13 days since Izzie's death and since George had begun his long recovery. It was during this day as Nina checked over him that he finally spoke.

"…Th….tha….thank…y….yo…you…"

Nina turned to find George's eyes were open, looking somewhat normal now because of Mark's handy work. He was glazing intensely at her face. She moved forward. "Does anything hurt?" She asked, wanting to check over George thoroughly.

He simply shook his head, slowly but he did do it. "N….n…no…."

She nodded. "Do you want me to get your mother? She's getting breakfast downstairs with Callie."

George nodded this time. At least he was awake.

~x~

Nina stood by as she watched Louise hug her son. It brought a warm smile to her face. Within minutes the whole hospital had heard that George was awake. Cristina and Meredith were the second and third people to arrive to see the risen hero. Meredith was weeping for joy when she saw George speaking to his mother.

Cristina even shed a tear or two at the sight.

Next came Callie and Arizona. Callie rushed to George's side and took his hand, promising him that she would do everything she could to look after him. Louise was crying heavily in joy at the sight of her son looking at his ex-wife and his friends.

Nina watched with a fond smile as Richard appeared, going over to George's side and telling him how proud he was of him. It didn't take too long for the Chief to go, promising to return. Next Owen showed up. He walked over to George's free side, since Callie, Arizona, Meredith and Cristina had to leave.

Owen stepped forward and took hold of George's hand. "You made everyone proud," He told the man. George looked pleased to know and nodded weakly. "You made your _country_ proud."

Louise let out another sob at the proud look that appeared on George's face.

Nina had never been so proud of saving a life. She knew that she had done something good.

~x~

Nina collected Ethan and went home. Mark was in surgery fixing some more of George's face while Callie worked on his limbs. She watched as Ethan rushed to do some practicing of his spelling and writing while Nina went to the kitchen. She began to make dinner while she thought of her choices.

She had saved George. Yes, Izzie was dead and the hospital was grieving the loss, but she knew they could make it through this. She smiled fondly when the door opened and she watched as Ethan ran forward to greet his dad.

Mark walked inside and smiled brightly at the sight of his family. He picked up Ethan and hugged him, earning a giggle from the boy.

"Daddy! Wanna practice writing with me?" Ethan asked excitedly.

"Sure buddy, just let me greet your mom." Mark stated after setting Ethan down. Ethan nodded and ran to the coffee table where his papers and crayons were. Mark walked over to Nina. "Well hello mommy," He greeted with a smirk.

Nina grinned at her boyfriend, as he wrapped his arms around her waist in greeting and kissed her cheek. "Hey daddy," She giggled.

Life was good…and Nina liked where it was going.

~x~

 **Up Next** : _ **Goodbye**_ : It is announced that Mercy West will be merging with Seattle Grace. Mark and Nina are searching for the proper "first time". Mark talks to Derek about how he should go about it. George gets even better.

 **Hey guys! So yes, George survived. I feel like it'd be interesting to have him live instead of Izzie. So yeah, George will be living further into the show instead of being dead. No, I did not talk about Alex in this chapter. He will have a bigger role soon but right now he is grieving his dead wife.**

 **Poor Alex!**

 **This chapter wasn't as hard as the last chapter to write, but it was still hard. It wouldn't flow together for me but oh well~! I like how I ended it.**

 **As George is alive, things will obviously be different than the show from now on. Not totally different because I will be following the general plot line but still. Anyway, please review!**

 **Nerdy~**

 **Show me the love and send me a review. Give me your thoughts and feelings. I look forward to hearing from each and every one of you! *Heart***


	19. Chapter 19

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: Nina must come to terms with her renewed relationship with Mark. Add in ex girlfriends, old flings and a surprise daughter that neither Nina nor Mark saw coming. And we can't forget little Ethan, who begins school and more secrets that both would rather keep hidden.**

 **Disclaimer: You still believe there's even a chance I could own Grey's? Well, it sure would be different. For one, so many people wouldn't be dead and there would be more Mark/Nina babies running around the hospital. ;) Enjoy!**

 **~x~**

Chapter 19: Goodbye

 _ **Day 22**_

Nina was holding some boxes filled with dishes walking into their new apartment. It was a much larger one than Nina's old apartment. It had two bedrooms still, but had more space for them. It was also across from Callie, Arizona and Cristina.

The rent was cheaper and right across from the hospital. She walked into the apartment and set the box on the counter. Ethan was leading Mark to his new bedroom with his favorite things in his arms. Mark was carrying Ethan's bed frame.

Nina couldn't stop the warm smile that spread across her features as she listened to Ethan speak with Mark. "Right here, daddy. I want my bed to be here so I can see the door- just in case the monsters come in so I can fight them." She heard Ethan say faintly.

"Sure kiddo," Mark said as he set the bed frame down where he wanted it. After this, Ethan ran out to grab some more boxes. Mark followed before spotting Nina. "Having fun settling in?" He teased.

"This place will be good for him," Nina reasoned to Mark as he walked over to kiss her lips. "But next time we move, we're getting a house."

"We're only testing the waters," Mark stated before he leaned down to kiss her lips. "But I will keep that in mind." He added before their lips met.

A shout broke them apart. "Daddy, come _on_! I wanna set up my room before I'm fifty!" Ethan shouted.

"Duty calls," Mark chuckled before disappearing to help Ethan finish moving in. Nina laughed as she too went to grab some more boxes. It was as she left the apartment that she spotted Callie Torres moving towards Mark quickly.

"Today is my first day at Mercy West, which dress should I wear?" Callie asked, showing Mark both dresses. Mark picked one and she gave him an odd look. "I really like this one though,"

"Then wear that one," Mark said as Ethan ran to put more of his stuff into the apartment.

Callie nodded, "Cool! Thanks Mark." She began to strip and Nina was stunned into silence. Mark didn't seem fazed until he noticed the harsh expression on his girlfriend's face. Callie disappeared into her apartment to finish getting ready.

"Nina-"

"Don't," Nina said as she grabbed another box. "I know you two had a _relationship_ before I came back into your life. I know you're both really good friends so I can't say anything. I just need to know, do you still want her?"

"Of course not," Mark reassured her, "I only want you."

Nina kissed his lips, "That's all I need to know." And she went into their apartment. Mark finished grabbing the rest of the boxes and headed inside.

~x~

 _ **Day 23**_

"So you and Nina moved in, nice," Derek said as the two Attendings stood together, on the ledge as they waited for cases to need them.

Mark nodded, looking pleased with this information. "Yup, last night was the first night in the new place. Ethan didn't even fuss this morning with getting up early."

"He must like having you around," Derek offered. The two friends fell silent. "I really like being married to Meredith."

Mark glanced over at Derek. "Ass, I haven't even gotten to sleep with Nina yet."

Derek laughed at him. "How about I take Ethan for the night? Let you and Nina finally get it on."

"Would you actually watch Ethan or be too busy sleeping with your wife?" Mark taunted him with a chuckle.

Derek nodded, "I'd actually watch Ethan. I'm sure Meredith won't mind. Besides, I love Ethan and he loves me. I'm his favorite uncle."

"You're his only uncle," Mark laughed.

This earned Mark a hit in the arm. "Shut up,"

~x~

Nina noticed the two men talking to each other. She assumed it was something good because Mark was laughing and smiling so brightly. She walked over to him and kissed his cheek in greeting. "Hey guys, whatcha talking about?" She asked, enjoying the way Mark wrapped his arms around her and held him against his side.

"We're watching the Chief," Derek explained nodding to their mentor. "We think he's jumping ship."

"What?" Nina exclaimed, turning to look at the Chief. He was in a board room talking to the Board.

Mark nodded as well, knowing how shocking this was. "We've also heard that Richard is retiring. Derek's convinced he'll be the next Chief. Tell him babe how _I'll_ be the next Chief." Mark stated.

She was still shocked by the news that Richard Webber was leaving Seattle Grace. "If anyone is gonna be the next Chief, it'll be me." Nina said with a giggle, turning to look at Mark with love and affection. "So either Richard is retiring or jumping ship. Unlikely he'll do either but whatever you boys need to tell each other."

Mark pouted. Nina smiled and kissed his pouty lips.

Derek sighed loudly, "And everyone says Mere and I are bad."

"We aren't consummating anything all over the place." Nina said, pulling away from Mark for a moment. "And before you say it, yes, you are now married. I get it. I may not look like it, but I was married once too. To this silly man right here and there was a _lot_ of consummating."

Mark blushed as Derek gave him a playful look. "What? Nina is hot. Who wouldn't be all for consummating our marriage?"

"Where's the funniest place you two have done it?" Derek asked, ignoring the horrified look on Mark's face.

Nina laughed gently. "Well, there was this time we went to visit the mall. We needed groceries I believe. Anyway, so there we were in the fruit aisle and I'm looking at bananas. I'm checking to see how firm the bananas were when Mark wrapped his arms around me and demanded we go to the bathroom." She giggled, Mark's face going pale. He didn't want to inform Derek about what he and Nina did. "So we made love against the door in a public supermarket bathroom."

"Nina," Mark sighed, "You don't need to tell everyone that story."

"What? It's one of my favorites," Nina replied. "Oh I had love bites on my neck for days. And the hand prints on my bum and hips? Mhm!"

Derek was laughing at this point and Mark looked really embarrassed.

~x~

 _ **Day 30**_

"Hey, do you know why we're being called here?" Arizona asked, popping up beside Nina who was standing beside Mark and Derek. The four Attendings glance at each other.

"Who knows?" Nina shrugged, "We just dropped Ethan off and had finished changing into our scrubs when Derek informed us that the Chief was calling this meeting."

Mark reached over and grabbed Nina's hand, earning a warm look from his girlfriend. Derek glanced over at Arizona. "Have you seen Meredith?" He asked. "Last night it finally hit her that Stevens is dead."

"That sucks," Arizona said softly, "And no I haven't seen her. I think she was with O'Malley. How is he doing, anyway?"

"Really good," Nina smiled. "His vitals are amazing. Mark is taking him into surgery today to finish fixing his face. O'Malley is almost good as new. Isn't he, baby?"

Mark nodded, "Yup." He grinned as the couple shared another kiss.

Arizona sighed lovingly. "I miss when Callie was here."

Derek agreed, "I need my wife. I want a kiss too."

Nina laughed and pulled away from her boyfriend. "Guys-"

"Can I have your attention?" Richard was standing on the stairs in the lobby. "I know you have all heard a lot of rumors and I'm sorry about that." Richard explained, looking around at his workers.

The whole group was silent.

"We all know what the economic climate is. In the upcoming weeks, Seattle Grace will be merging with Mercy West. I wish I could tell you all that you'll survive the merger, but there are only so many jobs. The board and I will have to make some tough decisions to make." Richard said, pausing to look at the Interns and Residents. Attendings would be fine. "I'm on your side and I'm rooting for each and every one of you. All I can ask of you is to be at your very best."

Whispers filled the lobby as Richard turned and walked off, heading to his office.

Nina turned to Mark. "What does this mean? Will we lose our jobs?" Nina asked, worried.

Mark shook his head. "Webber would be a fool to let any of us go. You're the best in your field. I'm the best in my field and Derek is the best in his field. Arizona literally rocks at her job and is the best in her field. Losing any of us and he'd be stupid." Mark explained.

Nina stepped into his arms and buried her face into his neck. "I'm just starting to like it here. And now this? I just don't know what I'll do if he does end up letting me go."

"You won _two_ Harper Avery's!" Mark pointed out, "That's more than Derek and I have."

"Hey!" Derek said frowning.

"It's true, though, isn't it?" Mark pointed out to his friend causing Derek to grumble. "My point is, Richard wouldn't let you go. And if he does, we'll find somewhere else to live. Hey! Maybe Addie's practice would welcome us or something!"

"If this doesn't work, you want to move to LA?" Nina asked blinking.

Mark grinned, "Why not? Wouldn't it be fun?"

"…Carly is there…" Nina mumbled. "But I guess I'll do it if it makes you happy."

"Baby, just being beside you makes me happy." Mark said smiling before stealing another kiss from her lips. Nina couldn't stop the small smile that spread across her lips.

Arizona pouted. "I really miss Callie…but hey, this means she'll be coming back!"

~x~

 **Up Next** : _**I Always Feel like Somebody's Watching Me**_ : The hospital is in the fight to keep their jobs. Lexie is moving closer to Mark, trying to keep her job in a way. Cristina has glued herself to Nina and is pretty much cock-blocking Mark which doesn't sit well with him.

 **So yup. This means Jackson will be coming soon, yay! Though, I will do it so Lexie is fighting for her job more though by moving in on Mark. And because Nina is at the hospital, Cristina won't need to "try Peds". But more drama is insured.**

 **Nerdy~**

 **Please review!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: Nina must come to terms with her renewed relationship with Mark. Add in ex girlfriends, old flings and a surprise daughter that neither Nina nor Mark saw coming. And we can't forget little Ethan, who begins school and more secrets that both would rather keep hidden.**

 **Disclaimer: You still believe there's even a chance I could own Grey's? Well, it sure would be different. For one, so many people wouldn't be dead and there would be more Mark/Nina babies running around the hospital. ;) Enjoy!**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **Patsy**_ : I'm glad you're enjoying _Hidden Truths_! We'll see about Lexie being fired, but again, who knows? She'd cause more drama if she kept her job. ;)  
 _ **mandy67**_ : Yay!  
 _ **Guest**_ : You've read 19 chapters of this story and you're complaining about Mark being with Nina. You didn't have to read this story, you could have stopped. Lexie and Mark aren't going to be a main focus for this fic. I don't like that you call Nina a whore when truthfully, she had Mark first. They were originally married. This will not be a Lexie/Mark story since _personally_ I hate Lexie and I hate Lexie/Mark. No hate, please but that is my opinion and I don't want to write something I don't like.  
 _ **snmuenst**_ : Of course Mark and Nina will stay together (for now)! And yes, something good to happening for them; they're together, living together and are raising Ethan. Perfect, eh? I'm glad you love it!  
 _ **h**_ : Mark is pretty adorable, am I right? It must be where Ethan gets it! Lol. Enjoy!

 **~x~**

Chapter 20: I Always Feel like Somebody's Watching Me

"It's like a warzone," Nina was standing in the cafeteria line with Ethan deciding what he wanted for breakfast. The family hadn't been able to make breakfast this morning since they had woken up late and Ethan was a little grumpy man. Mark nodded, looking at what was being offered for breakfast. "Is disgusting how everyone is fighting for their jobs…should we be fighting harder?"

"Nina we'll be fine," Mark said glancing over at her. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Now pick what you want to eat. I'm buying."

"I can buy my own," Nina replied but she was smiling.

Mark shook his head. "You bought breakfast last time,"

Ethan turned to his parents. "Can I have sausages, scrambled eggs and grilled cheese?" He asked excitedly.

"Sure buddy," Mark smiled at his boy. Ethan fist pumped. "What would you like to drink?"

"Orange juice please daddy," Ethan grinned widely.

The family reached the cashier. Mark let Ethan order what he wanted and then asked for something similar but coffee instead. Nina was off in la-la and so Mark ordered her usual. After paying, the family went to their usual table and they enjoyed the smell of food.

Nina turned to Mark and smiled, "Thank you honey."

"No problem," Mark reassured. Nina leaned over and kissed his lips. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

"You've mentioned it once or twice," Nina giggled.

Ethan was already stuffing his face with eggs. Mark couldn't help but smile proudly.

~x~

After breakfast, Nina and Mark dropped Ethan off at daycare. As the couple walked towards the Attending's lounges, thoughts swirled in both of their heads, their hands clasped together.

"Hey Mark," Nina began causing her boyfriend to hum to inform her that he was in fact listening. "I'm thinking… I've _been_ thinking, why don't we just 'rip off the band aid'?"

Mark glanced over at her with confusion in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Ya know," Nina blushed as they entered the lounge. She let go of his hand and went to her locker. Mark followed after her to his locker. "Why don't we just do it? Let's go to an on-call room and do it."

Mark was confused for a long moment. Until it connected in his brain and it was like fireworks were going off. "You mean have sex?"

Nina nodded with a blush covering her cheeks, "I prefer the term _love making_ but yeah, have sex."

It was like his whole world was falling into place. "Hell yeah,"

"Sounds good then," Nina couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. "At lunch we'll meet in the Cardio wing on-call room. Sound good to you?"

Mark nodded and smiled, "Yeah it does."

~x~

Cristina finally found Nina standing in front of the OR board, looking at the times and what was expected of her. "Doctor Knight!" Cristina said excitedly, rushing forward to the young woman. Nina turned to face the other woman. "I was wondering if I could be on your service today?"

"Sure," Nina replied with a fond smile. "I actually have a triple bypass today. Are you in?"

"Yes!" Cristina couldn't stop the grin that spread across her features. "Why wouldn't I? And to think, I was going to ask Robbins to join her on Peds."

Nina glanced at her star student. "You thought of leaving me? Oh the horror!" She laughed gently. "Come on; let's go to check on the patient. And then you'll prep him. The surgery is supposed to start around 10."

Cristina nodded, "Yes ma'am."

"Before you start to prep the patient, we will finish rounds." Nina also added. "Do you understand?"

Cristina once more nodded.

~x~

The first patient Cristina and Nina rounded on was actually George. Even though George spent most of his time on the Plastics unit, he was still rounded on by Nina, Derek and Owen. Nina entered the room smoothly, smiling as she greeted George. "Good morning Doctor O'Malley, how are we feeling today?" Nina asked.

"I'm good," George reassured her, "Eager to get back to work actually. Do you have any idea when I'll be able to go back to work?"

Nina checked on his heart beat, rate and rhythm. "Everything for your heart and lungs seem to be in order-"

She wasn't able to finish because Mark entered the room. It was like all the air she had been breathing was pulled away from her. He looked so _hot_ standing there in his scrubs and lab coat. Nina swallowed thickly as she glazed heatedly at her boyfriend.

"Ah Doctor Knight, Doctor Yang- I didn't know you were both making rounds. Is our patient doing well?" Mark asked, smirking because he could see exactly what he was doing to Nina.

Cristina noticed the look her mentor was giving Mark so Cristina answered. "Yes, Doctor Sloan. We were beginning to discuss about George possibly returning to work."

"Absolutely not," Next entered Derek and Meredith. It was Derek who had spoken. "There's so much that could go wrong. O'Malley, you survived being dragged by a bus. I think you can rest a little longer."

George frowned, "But the merge- if I don't get back to work _soon_ , I may lose my job! Or worse, there won't be a job to go back to!"

Meredith walked over to George and touched his hand. "George, Derek's just looking out for you. You don't want to strain yourself." She pointed out.

However, Nina was still in la-la land. Mark moved over to his girlfriend and smirked as he leaned over to whisper into her ear. "Thinking about lunch?" he purred under his breath.

Her breath caught in her throat. She could only nod. "Doctor Sloan?" Mark's attention was pulled away from Nina to Lexie, who happened to be his resident today. "You said I could possibly scrub in on George's next surgery?"

Mark blinked, seemingly to have forgotten that he and Nina weren't alone. "Oh yes," He said. George sighed loudly from his bed. "This should be the last one. Today we go in one last time and finish remaking your face. How does that sound, O'Malley?" Mark asked.

"How long will the recovery be?" George asked, still set on getting back to work.

Nina was frowning now because Lexie was giving _her Mark_ that look; the sort of look that you give people when you're undressing them in your head.

"Not too long," Mark replied. "Four or five weeks tops."

George didn't seem very pleased with this answer but took it. "Okay," George said.

~x~

After the triple bypass surgery, Nina was ready for some sexy time. _Finally_ , her brain whispered to herself. _We're finally getting laid after…what? Almost eight years?_

She shook off the thoughts. The only downfall, however, was that Cristina had glued herself to Nina. "So Doctor Knight, that was amazing! I don't think I've ever seen such a complex surgery done so quickly and utterly perfect!"

Nina wanted to sneak off to Mark but her duty was first to Ethan, then her students and then her relationship.

"Thank you Doctor Yang, now if you'll-"

"I was thinking, maybe I could also scrub in on your next surgery?" Cristina asked with a wide excited grin.

Nina blinked, "Oh sure."

"Great! Shall we make rounds on the patient now?" Cristina asked, trying to ignore her own itch she was having. She was unable and not allowed to have sex with Owen yet. So all her attention was going towards her job and focusing on her career as a surgeon.

She wanted to say not right now, that she had other things to do- but…her duty as a teacher….

And Cristina was giving her this really hopeful look. Nina swallowed. She thought of Mark, in the on-call room already, waiting for her to show up and for them to _finally_ get it on. She pictured him chewing his lip, thinking about her and what they would do together. A slight budge beginning to form in his pants.

"Doctor Knight?"

Nina was ripped from her dirty thoughts by Cristina's voice. "Yes Doctor Yang?" She tried to sound professional.

Cristina gave her idol a strange look. "Are we making rounds on the patient?"

"Oh, right," Nina blushed in embarrassment. "Yes. Let's go make rounds."

~x~

Mark was laying in the on-call room, back against the bed as he imagined what this would be like. He could already picture the way Nina would look under him, naked and ready for him. The way her chest would heave and her nipples would beg for his lips….

His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening and closing. His head turned to the door. He couldn't see who was there but they were already walking towards him. "Babe," He breathed as he sat up to welcome his girlfriend into his arms.

The person walked forward and leaned down to kiss his lips. Mark welcomed Nina's lips and groaned quietly.

"Ready for this, babe?" He whispered.

Nina sat on his lap and Mark couldn't stop the shake of excitement that ran through him. "Sure am," Mark froze at the voice. "I'm so glad you finally realize that you've made a mistake with that bitch."

Mark knew that voice. Lexie…

"Fuck, Lexie?" He pushed the girl off his lap. Lexie stumbled a little and looked confused as she went to turn on the light. Mark's budge was beginning to fade when he set eyes onto his ex. He stared at her with shock.

"What the hell Mark?" Lexie stared at him stunned. Her pager went off. "I've got to go anyway," she glared before leaving the on-call room.

Mark looked down at his lap, silent as he tried to figure out what his next move was. _Do I tell Nina about Lexie or do I pretend it never happened?_

~x~

After making rounds with Cristina, Nina checked the time and saw it was time for surgery. She sent Mark a quick text informing him that she's sorry and that she loves him.

 _Mark, sorry about the whole not having sex thing! I've gotta go into surgery now. Lots of love, Nina_

She figured that was good enough. She nodded and turned to head to surgery.

~x~

Mark was in the cafeteria, scowling to himself because he had screwed what he had with Nina up _again_. He hadn't meant to obviously, but he had kissed another woman. He had kissed _Lexie Grey_. It would be all over the hospital soon enough so he'd need to tell Nina first.

Derek appeared and sat down across from Mark. "You look down in the dumps," Derek mused, scooping some chocolate pudding- the last chocolate pudding- into his mouth.

Mark shrugged his shoulders, "I kissed Lexie Grey."

"What?" Derek gasped in shock, nearly spitting out the pudding but he swallowed it first. "I thought you and Nina were happy."

"We are," Mark replied uneasily. He looked so unsure of himself as he looked down at his coffee. "I thought Lexie was Nina. She had come into the on-call room, the place Nina and I figured we'd just do it… And then Lexie didn't tell me she wasn't Nina and so we kissed. And then she spoke."

He hit his head off the table.

Derek stared at his friend with sympathy. "Talk to Nina, I'm sure she'll understand."

"She's in surgery…" Mark mumbled sulkily.

"Perfect, that means she can't run away," Derek pointed out. "Do it before someone else tells her. Lexie Grey is a gossiper, remember?"

Mark nodded and stood up, thanking Derek before rushing off to Nina's OR.

~x~

Nina was just finishing up her double bypass surgery when Mark entered; hand over face with that mask. "Close up," Nina said nodding to Cristina. Cristina nodded and went to work. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I was wondering if we could talk," Mark stated.

She nodded. "Sounds good to me, just let me make sure the surgery is finished correctly." He nodded and Nina turned back to Cristina. Cristina closed perfectly.

After the surgery finished, Nina left the OR and went to scrub out. Mark stood by the door as Nina scrubbed out. Cristina appeared a moment later to also scrub out.

"So what's up?" Nina asked Mark.

Mark was silent. Cristina glanced over at the Plastics Head. "Could we speak privately?"

Nina felt dread fill her. _Does he want to break up with me?_ "Sure…"

~x~

The couple walked together to the Attendings' Lounge. It was time to get changed and go pick up Ethan. Mark was silent the whole way there. Once in the lounge, he began to pace. Nina sat down on a bench, trying to ready her heart. "Just say it," Nina finally begged. "If you don't want to be with me…"

"Not be with you?" Mark asked her, stopping the pacing and walked over to stand in front of her. "Nina I love you. But after I tell you this…you may not want to be with me anymore."

She was utterly confused. "What could make me not want to be with you anymore?"

Mark took in a shaky breath. "In the on-call room, I thought Lexie was you. So I kissed her. But I didn't know it was her and I'm sorry Nina."

Nina fell silent. She stared at her boyfriend with pain in her eyes. She swallowed. _I have to be a grownup_. "You didn't mean to," She finally spoke. "And you came straight to me and told me. I can't hold you against that…just, please don't do it again."

She stood up and moved into Mark's arms. He held her against his chest and kissed her forehead. "I love you Nina,"

"I love you too, Mark," Nina whispered back as she snuggled into his arms.

~x~

It was Mark, Nina and Ethan were leaving the hospital that they spotted Lexie crying. Ethan rushed up to the resident and asked her about it. "Why are you crying?" Ethan asked.

Lexie lifted her head. She gave him a small smile. "I lost my job,"

Ethan patted her head. "Mama says working in LA is her plan if she loses her job." Ethan stated. "Maybe you could work in LA?"

Lexie shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe…"

Nina glanced up at Mark. She didn't know if she should be thankful or if she should be sorry. The one woman who Mark loved besides Addison had lost her job; she would no longer be in Seattle Grace Hospital. Mark kissed her cheek before turning to Lexie.

"Bye bye," Ethan said as he waved to Lexie, rushing to his parents once more. "We're going to McDonald's. Would you like to come?"

Lexie looked at Nina and Mark. The couple nodded, as if inviting her to come with them. Even though Nina hated this woman, she knew that Lexie was having a rough night. "Sure," Lexie stood up and Ethan rushed to grab her hand.

"My name's Ethan," Ethan stated as they began to walk towards Mark's car. "What's yours?"

"Lexie," Lexie said with a small smile.

"Hi Lexie," Ethan grinned. "Do you know my daddy and mommy? They're doctors. I'm sure you could be great like them too!"

Lexie couldn't stop the smile as she listened to Ethan ramble about how he was going to be a doctor too one day. Nina looked at Mark as the couple walked towards the car, hoping that this wasn't going to end badly because Lexie was spending time with them.

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **Tainted Obligation**_ : Ethan's first day back at school! Lexie has agreed to be his babysitter while she's looking for a new job. Thatcher shows up with Liver Failure and this throws Meredith off her game. George is finally making process and has begun walking around the hospital. Nina and Mark get some alone time in their shower…

 **Hey guys. Sorry for the wait for chapter 20. This week has been rough. My priest died last Saturday so that has been tough. On Tuesday I donated blood with one of my best friends (yay!) so I was off on Wednesday. I had yesterday (Friday) off but I was lazy, didn't feel good and I had to work last night. And this chapter just wasn't working for me. Ugh!**

 **Anyway, next chapter the rating will be bumped up to M. Just FYI! Also, I will only be updating on Fridays now.** **No Mondays and Fridays updates!** **Besides that, I haven't been getting that many reviews anymore so why do more for people who don't care? It'll also bring me less stress. Anyway, please review!**

 **Nerdy~**

 **REVIEW PLEASE! WE'RE ALMOST TO 100 REVIEWS!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: Nina must come to terms with her renewed relationship with Mark. Add in ex girlfriends, old flings and a surprise daughter that neither Nina nor Mark saw coming. And we can't forget little Ethan, who begins school and more secrets that both would rather keep hidden.**

 **Disclaimer: Nina, Ethan, Elliot, Lucas, Kian, Linda and Joseph are mine!**

~x~

Chapter 21: Tainted Obligation

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Mark and Nina were laying in bed, spooning and were asleep. They were awoken by Ethan jumping on the top of them and shouting at them. "Little man, what the hell?" Mark groaned.

Ethan gasped at the sound of 'hell' leaving his dad's mouth. "Ten cents to the swear jar daddy!" He stated firmly. Mark grumbled and Nina sat up, rubbing her eyes. She tried to ignore the feeling of Mark's morning wood pressing up against her thigh. "You've gotta get up, daddy! Today is the first day of school!"

Nina smiled at her boy. Ethan jumped off the bed- more like flew off the bed- and ran off to finish doing whatever he was originally doing. Nina turned to Mark and giggled when he rolled over to bury his face into her stomach. "Tired honey?" she asked sweetly.

He nodded sulkily. "God, I can't believe he's going to school…how do you do it?"

"I just remember that he's coming home to me." Nina kissed his forehead.

Right as the couple were getting comfy once more, they heard Ethan run to the front door which had been knocked on. "CALLIE!" they heard Ethan scream in excitement.

Nina and Mark jumped out of bed, rushing to the front room. Callie looked embarrassed at the shouting. Ethan was taken with the woman. She was fun and Ethan loved spending time with his Callie. Mark leaned against the wall as Callie was pulled into the apartment by Ethan. Nina went to start making breakfast.

"Do you want some food too, Callie?" Nina asked.

"Sure," Callie smiled, "As long as it isn't any trouble."

"It wouldn't be a problem at all!" Nina reassured her. She turned and went to cooking. She was making pancakes and sausages. Ethan pulled Callie over to the couch to show her his new book bag.

Ethan grinned widely at the tall woman. "Look in here!" He stated, pulling out some of the markers he had gotten. He showed Callie everything in the bag.

Mark moved to the door to close it and then went to his girlfriend's side. He kissed her cheek. "So do we get to drop him off?"

"I've already spoken with Richard," Nina said as she poured the pancake batter onto the grill in small pancakes. She added some chocolate chips. "We'll be able to see Ethan off. Lexie said she'd pick up Ethan after school and bring him to the hospital for us."

Mark nodded, "Sounds good to me. I'm going to grab a shower since Callie is watching Ethan. Wanna join?" He teased her. She honestly thought about it before agreeing. "I'll let Callie know to watch Ethan."

Nina watched him walk over to Callie, informing her that they would be "busy". So Callie led Ethan to her apartment stating that she had some sweets for the boy for his lunch.

Mark grinned as he turned to face his girlfriend, offering her his hand once he was close enough and together they went to the bathroom. Nina was a little nervous about being in the shower with Mark. They stepped into their small bathroom and Mark went to turn on the water, letting Nina collect herself and her nerves. He turned to her face her and moved forward to kiss her lips.

Nina closed her eyes and returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. As they enjoyed their kiss, Mark began to pull off her clothes. Nina pulled off Mark's clothes and the couple were very soon naked. Mark pulled back to look down at Nina's naked body.

Her hips were still as wide as before; she had some belly to her with three pale stretch marks from her pregnancy; her large breasts that he knew filled his hands perfectly; and she looked just so _soft_. Mark knelt down before her and Nina tensed a little. He leaned forward and pressed his lips onto her stretch marks. "You're beautiful," He whispered breathlessly.

Her breath caught in her throat. "Oh Mark…." He stood and they kissed once more before stepping into the shower. Now standing in the shower, warm water running down their bodies, they both looked at each other. He reached forward and cupped a wet breast. She sighed happily.

"Are you ready?" Mark asked, his eyes looking up and locking eyes onto hers.

Nina nodded, "I've been ready for you for years."

He grinned and then they were kissing once more. She reached forward and took hold of Mark's member in her hand. He felt hard and silky. He grunted gently, while Nina began to carefully pump him. Once he was hard enough, Nina pulled back and allowed Mark to pick her up and press her against the wall. Her legs fell apart easily and he leaned forward, pressing their chests together. She was gasping for breath, while he took hold of his member and led it to her opening.

The moment they had been searching for was finally here. Nina looked up and their eyes locked. "I love you." Mark whispered as he pushed forward, locking them together.

She gasped and he groaned. "I love you too!" Nina uttered as he began to thrust into her tight body. And against the wall in their shower, they made love.

Once Mark knew he was getting closer, he brought his hand down to rub her clit in time with his thrusts, causing Nina to buck against him helplessly. She moaned loudly and cried out, "MARK!" when she came while he yelled, "NINA!" as he came.

It was perfect for them.

~x~

After dropping Ethan off at school, Nina and Mark went to work. Callie waved goodbye to them as she went in search of her girlfriend. Nina and Mark walked hand-in-hand to the Attending's lounge. They were both smiling widely and they were just so _happy_.

Once they were both changed, after their touches and their secret looks they threw each other, the happy couple went to their meeting. Richard had yet to arrive and most of the Attendings were already gathered there. Nina waved to Derek and took a seat on Mark, since there weren't many chairs. Mark wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him, earning a giggle from his girl.

"Did you finally sleep together?" Derek asked, chuckling.

Mark laughed and nodded, earning a playful hit on the chest from Nina. "It was amazing." Mark stated.

They share a kiss and Derek rolled his eyes. "I need to find Meredith after this meeting…" He mumbled to himself.

Owen was sitting beside Mark on the other side, since Mark was sitting at the head of the table. Arizona arrived and took a seat. Finally, Richard appeared. Mark reached forward for a Danish pastry.

Nina gave him a look. "Do you know how many nurses were fired for that pastry?" She whispered fiercely.

He pouted but he put it back.

Richard sighed, "I cannot answer your questions now but I will be. The Mercy West doctors will be arriving in three days. Please make them feel welcome."

The Attendings began booming Richard with questions. "What about my burn center?" Mark asked, Nina hearing him over everyone.

Derek took the pastry and took a bite. "You were right, this is a great Danish."

Mark did not look impressed.

~x~

Later that day, Mark was sitting beside an older man removing some skin tags. The old man's son was standing beside his wife, watching carefully.

"Would you mind getting me some coffee?" The old man said.

"You already have your cup today," the son said.

"We can get you decaf!" The wife pulled her husband out of the room to fetch the decaf.

Mark finished working carefully. "All finished,"

"Thank you; I've had these skin things all my life. I'm not worried." He said. "Now why I'm really here… I'm here for an A-M-S 700."

"The uh, penal implant?" Mark asked, slightly surprised.

The old man nodded, "Yeah."

"Well, usually the first step is drug therapy. I can uh, if you're having symptoms write you up a prescription." Mark offered.

He shook his head, "No, no, no, no, no! I took those pills years ago. They never even gave me a liftoff." He sighed, "And then my wife died and I gave up. But now…I'm seeing this new gal from the east wing. She's a younger woman and….I don't want to disappoint."

Mark understood completely. "I understand." He said, "But it is a surgical procedure, so…there is a question of safety given your age."

"My age…" The old man sighed loudly, "It's always my age. Ah the golden years. Let me tell you about the golden years, Doc. There's just gotta be more to my life than eating pudding and watching _CSI_. Now come on. Can you give an old man a working Johnson?"

Mark chuckled softly.

~x~

Nina was walking down the hall, her eyes on her clipboard when she spotted Lexie Grey sitting beside one of the other residents getting her blood taken. Nina wondered what was going on so she walked over to see what was going on. "What are you doing at the hospital? You've got to pick up Ethan in an hour." Nina said frowning.

Lexie looked up. "Sorry Doctor Knight…but I can't. I'm giving some of my liver to my dad. Can't you get somebody else to pick up Ethan? My dad's liver is failing."

Nina frowned. "If I had someone else to look after my son, don't you think I would have asked them?"

The young woman turned to look at Nina with a stunned expression on her face. "Excuse me?" She expressed her distasted with Nina's tone. "This is my dad's life we're talking about!"

Steve, the resident who was supposed to be taking Lexie's blood, looked very uncomfortable. Nina however frowned deeply, "A man who left his daughter and who drank himself to this point! He did this to himself, Grey!"

"That doesn't matter, he's still my father! I can't let him die when I can help!" Lexie yelled back at Nina. She glared at Nina before turning to Steve. "Steve, just take my damn blood right now. I don't care what you think Knight, because I will be doing this for my dad."

Nina was flaming. She huffed before turning on her heels and went to find Mark.

~x~

After asking a nurse where Mark was, Nina entered the patient's room and found Mark speaking with Irving (the old man). She blushed at the expression her boyfriend gave her. "Sorry for interrupting," She said.

"It's not a problem, honey." Irving said, "I was just explaining to my son and his wife that it's my money and I can spend it on anything I want."

"If you get this surgery, we're taking you out of the home." Tom stated.

Mark swallowed, looking pleadingly at Nina before he stepped into the argument. "Everyone take a breath. We don't even know if the surgery is a possibility. We still need to do a few more tests." Mark explained. Irving looked pleased that it was still possible but Tom and Irene did not look happy. "If you will excuse me." said Mark.

Mark walked out of the room with Nina. "Sorry for interrupting Mark, I needed to speak with you." Nina said.

"It's really no problem," Mark kissed her cheek. "What exactly did you need me for?"

"I'm leaving the hospital early to go grab Ethan." Nina explained. "And before you ask about Lexie, she's busy scrambling around to save her drunken father from liver failure."

He frowned at the information. "Okay, Ethan should be finished school anyway. Bring him here and daycare should still take him, right?"

Nina nodded, "They should." She kissed Mark before going to inform Richard that she would be going to pick up Ethan before coming back to work.

~x~

Thankfully daycare took Ethan even though it was somewhat late. Nina happened to be heading to the OR board to see if there were any surgeries for her to do. She wanted something quick and easy. Ethan wanted to go out to Diary Queen for dinner and Mark had promised.

She found Cristina flirting with Doctor Nelson for surgeries. Nina found it amusing as she walked towards the pair. "Doctor Yang, I suppose you're too busy to scrub in on my aneurysm then?"

Nelson scurried off after spotting a glaring Owen. "Doctor Knight!" Cristina expressed her excitement at seeing her. "You have an aneurysm?"

"Yup," Nina smiled, "And I was about to ask you to scrub in….but if you're into Neuro now."

Owen smiled thankfully at Nina as Cristina's whole face brightened. "I don't really want Neuro, I just need a surgery. I need to get my hands dirty, if you know what I mean? The Mercy Westerns are coming in three days and I've barely logged 100 hours in the OR!"

Nina laughed. "Then go to prep Mr. Darcy."

"Yes ma'am!" Cristina hurried off after grabbing Mr. Darcy's chart from Nina.

"Thank you," Owen stepped forward and over to Nina. "Cristina has been so down lately. I was worried that she'd _'fall into the Dark and Twistys'_ whatever."

Nina glanced over at Owen and gave him a smile. "I won't let her fall into the Dark and Twistys."

Owen smiled at her. "Still, thank you."

He turned and walked away.

~x~

Derek, Mark and Owen were in the conference room, talking about Irving's upcoming surgery. Nina and Cristina enter, after a long ass surgery and Cristina is reeling for more OR time. Nina walked over to Mark and kissed his lips in greeting. "Hey handsome," She cooed. "What are you boys up to?"

"We're discussing a surgery," Mark said smiling up at Nina. "We're talking about which resident would be the best to bring to the OR."

"I'll do it," Cristina jumped at the chance to go back into surgery.

Owen blinked, "Cristina you don't really want to-"

Cristina shot her boyfriend a look. "I need more OR time. The Chief is letting go the residents with the least amount of OR time! So Doctor Sloan, I will do the surgery."

Mark chuckled, glancing up at Nina who was smiling at him. "If Nina thinks you're good enough for her service, you must be good." He mused. "Go prep the patient, okay? And you can then scrub in." Cristina took the chart and hurried to the patient's room.

"How long is this going to take?" Nina asked, her arms wrapped around his shoulders as she nuzzled his cheek. "Ethan wants to go out for dinner, remember?"

"I remember." Mark reassured her as he enjoyed her attention. "This shouldn't take too long."

Nina kissed his cheek and turned to leave. "See you soon, babe! I love you!" She left.

"I really wish Cristina was that affectionate." Owen sighed loudly, feeling oddly lonely in that moment.

Mark and Derek laughed.

~x~

Nina and Ethan were waiting in the waiting room by the front doors. Ethan watched impatiently for his dad to appear, ready to take them out to dinner. While waiting, Callie appeared with Arizona.

"Hey Callie, Arizona. How are you two tonight?" Nina asked.

Ethan ran forward and Callie picked the little boy up, hugging him happily. "Mark told us to let you know that he will be late for dinner." Callie said as Ethan squirmed in her arms and Arizona took him to hug him. "So I offered the idea of Arizona and I going with you guys. Is that okay?"

"Yeah!" Ethan yelled excitedly. But Nina could see in his eyes that he was disappointed in his father. Nina was hit with a memory, one she was not expecting.

~x~

 _It was a late evening. Nina was sitting on the front porch of her house, the house she grew up in, waiting for her sister to finally appear. Nina looked down at the ground, sighing heavily. Once she checked her watch, Nina was greeted by the sight of 12:07 am._

 _She sighed louder glancing over at the house. Her parents were already asleep. Her brother, Elliot, had been gone for a few months now and Nina's parents had become very protective._

 _But, Nina couldn't imagine what Linda and Joseph Knight would do upon learning that their youngest child, Charlotte aka Carly, was up to. Finally, a truck rolled up. Nina jumped to her feet._

 _Carly was helped out of the truck by Lucas O'Connor. "Nina," He breathed as he led the drunken girl to the steps. "Holy crap….help!" he called._

" _SHH!" Nina hissed lowly as she moved forward to help Lucas bring Carly inside. "My parents are asleep."_

" _Sorry," Lucas said as they brought Carly to her bedroom._

" _Why the hell were you both out so late?" Nina demanded after they walked out of the room and onto the front step._

 _Lucas swallowed. "The…the baby…" He sighed, "Carly aborted the baby today and we both needed something to take the edge off. I only had a drink or two but Carly…"_

 _Nina winced. Her sister had let it slip that she was pregnant. She was only seventeen. She had her whole life ahead of herself. Nina was going to the university that wasn't too far from their house. Their parents didn't even know Carly wasn't a virgin anymore nor did they know she was seriously seeing Lucas._

" _Goodnight Luke," Nina said quietly, patting him on the back. She knew it must be hard to lose a child._

 _Lucas looked at her, their eyes locking. And then…he was leaning forward and their lips met. Nina was stunned before she jumped back._

" _Luke!" She gasped quietly, "What are you doing!?"_

 _He cursed under his breath. "Sorry Nina, I just- I needed to see what it would feel like to be with a girl who actually loves me."_

" _Carly loves you." Nina uttered, her hand going up and touching her lips. "And she's my_ sister _!"_

 _He simply shook his head. "She just likes the idea of me. I'm safe. I'm nice. I'm the sort of guy who won't hurt her nor will I leave her. I'm the guy your parents would love."_

 _He turned and left. Nina was left standing there, watching as he disappeared into the night. Unknowingly to the two teens, Carly was standing by the window and had seen the whole thing._

~x~

At the hospital, in George's room, he was surrounded by Meredith, Cristina and Alex.

"You can do it George!" Meredith said encouragingly.

"Oh whatever," Cristina said but she was smiling fondly at him. Alex was still silent. He wasn't able to think properly since Izzie died.

George rolled his eyes at his friends. Meredith helped him stand and then George took the first few steps… He was getting better. He was going to be okay.

~x~

 **Up Next** : _**Invasion**_ : Mercy West residents have arrived. Nina is overwhelmed with burn patients and a cranky seven-year-old. Meredith is on bed rest with George, who is getting better. Someone from Nina's past appears and all hell breaks loose.

 **Hey guys. Yes, I know, I'm a week late…well whatever. I haven't been feeling like myself lately. I just…I constantly want to die. I'm busy with school and I rarely talk to anyone. I know; my life isn't so bad it could be worse, but right now…it's like a black hole is sucking me up. I rarely even have the energy to pull myself out of bed in the morning. On Friday (April 22), I had to work and on Saturday (April 23) I was helping raise money for my youth group. I've been crazy busy and I have a writer's block. Ugh, I'm truly sorry.**

 _ **I will NOT be updating for awhile.**_ **I am taking a break. I will start updating again on May 20** **th** **. This gives me time to write out some chapters for you guys and get a head of updates. However, I will inform you all now that I will have exams in June (June 17** **th** **to be exact) and yeah it is weeks away but time is flying by fast. So, I will be taking a break in June. The last update then will be June 10** **th** **. I am going away on a trip so I don't know when I will be back to update some more. That will be four chapters before I go to visit my nephew. It's unlikely that I will be updating until July after June 10** **th** **.**

 **I also feel like you guys aren't interested in** _ **Hidden Truths**_ **anymore. Have I bored you? Should I end it quickly? I don't know anymore! GAH!**

 **I promise that the next four chapters will be super long! I feel like I will try to make them 4000+ words! How does that sound? I love you guys, have a great day!**

 **REVIEWS:**

 _ **Patsy**_ : I know we didn't see much of Thatcher this chapter. I wasn't sure what to write honestly, because I am focusing on Nina/Mark. Just know that Meredith did give her liver and Thatcher is alive. :) Anyway, I will miss your reviews. They always keep me going.  
 _ **h**_ : Yes we should be proud of Nina and Mark. They've come so far! GAH! And Lexie will be returning to Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital soon, don't write her off. ;)  
 _ **snmuenst**_ : Mina (Nina/Mark) are my relationship goals too! I hoped you enjoyed chapter 21~!

 **So please, everyone review. I'd love to hear your thoughts, concerns, ideas, etc! I love hearing from you guys and you inspire (?) me to do more. I can't imagine writing this story without you all *heart* So this is me, logging off until May 20** **th** **. I love you guys!**

 **REVIEW PLEASE!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hidden Truths**

 **Summary: Nina must come to terms with her renewed relationship with Mark. Add in ex girlfriends, old flings and a surprise daughter that neither Nina nor Mark saw coming. And we can't forget little Ethan, who begins school and more secrets that both would rather keep hidden.**

 **Disclaimer: Seriously? I don't own Grey's. If I did, Mark and Derek would still be alive. Addie would still be on the show and Cristina would still be best friends with Meredith, still in Seattle. Also, Nina would be on the show lol**

~x~

 _ **WARNING: There are M-rated scenes throughout this series now!**_

~x~

Chapter 22: Invasion

Today was the first day of the Mercy Westerns coming to Seattle Grace. Nina was nervous about meeting her new co-workers. She was sleeping soundly in bed, her head on her pillow and blankets wrapped around her. Mark was spooning her and she slowly woke to kisses being laid on her neck.

She whimpered softly as she felt Mark run a hand down her stomach before going under her night shirt. Nina's eyes slowly opened as she turned to look at her boyfriend. "Can I help you?" She giggled.

He smirked as he laid a kiss on her lips. "Yes you can," He purred. "Would you mind helping me with _this_?" He ground his hips into her behind. She nodded and turned her head so he could easily kiss her. His hand slipped past her panties (Nina usually slept in her panties) and she moaned as he slipped a hand down to cup her sex. "You're already so wet Nina. You _want_ me to help you, don't you?"

His middle finger slid down to run from her entrance up to the top of her womanhood. Nina whined helplessly as he spread her bottom lips apart and used his middle finger to slid across her pussy to her opening where he rubbed to gather wetness on his finger. Nina knew how skilled her boyfriend was and just what he planned to do to her with his now wet finger.

"Oh Mark pleased!" Nina begged.

Just when Mark started to circle her clit with his middle and ring finger, they heard a shout and then thudding. Ethan was coming to their bedroom. Nina cried out at the loss as Mark removed his finger from her opening and rolled away from her before sliding his finger into his mouth. She frowned as she turned to him, seeing him lick her juices. What she wouldn't do for him to continue fingering her or to put his lips down there, right where she needed him.

The door was pushed open and Ethan ran inside. "Get up, mommy and daddy, get up!" He squealed. Since Ethan didn't have school today, he was spending the day at the daycare in the hospital. "Why aren't you up yet? Callie's supposed to be here soon!"

Mark watched as Nina got up, fixing her shirt a little since Mark had to move it to get to where he was 'needed'. "Come on, let's get some breakfast." Nina stood up and led Ethan to the kitchen. Mark went to the bathroom to get a shower and to relieve himself of his 'issue'.

~x~

Nina, Mark and Ethan walked together as a family towards the elevators. The adults spotted Alex Karev making his way to the elevators as well. Callie had to run off because Arizona wanted to see her. Nina and Mark both knew what the two women wanted so they had let Callie go.

Ethan ran towards the elevator when he noticed the orange scrubs. "Daddy, why is there orange scrubs instead of blue?" Ethan asked, glancing up at his daddy.

Mark looked down and sighed. "There are some new people who are going to be working at the hospital, okay?"

"Okay!"

The elevator opened. The family got on with Alex. The elevator doors were beginning to close when two men stopped it, getting on. They were grinning and laughing until they spotted Nina. The darker one looked started before grinning, offering her his hand. "Doctor Jackson Avery," He greeted. She shook it. "You're Doctor Nina Knight, right?"

She nodded but before she could answer, Ethan did, "Yup! That's my mommy for you," He grinned widely. Obviously he was proud. "She's gonna be Doctor Sloan soon though. She's gonna marry my daddy."

Nina blushed. "Ethan,"

"What? It's true! You told me yourself how you wanna marry daddy someday!" Ethan stated as if it were the simplest thing to understand. "Who are you?"

Now Ethan was looking at the other man who looked stunned to be in Nina Knight's presence.

"Charles Percy," Charles greeted. He too offered Nina his hand to shake.

Nina shook his hand too. Alex looked disgusted by the Mercy Westerns. Finally, Nina and Mark's stop appeared. She left with Ethan skipping out of the elevator. Nina turned to Mark. "Today is going to be terrible, I can already tell."

He kissed her forehead after grabbing her hand. "I know, but at least we're together and we have a healthy son. What more could we ask for?"

But what Ethan had said caused the wheels in his head turn. Nina wanted to marry him. It finally looked like things were turning out for the better for him.

~x~

Nina had been paged to the ER. She was nervous about today because there could be only chaos. There would be residents and interns fighting for surgeries, doctor vs. doctor. She entered the ER with confidence, but inside, she was steaming with nerves. She spotted Derek and Owen so she made her way to them.

"Today is going to be busy," Nina said as she joined her two friends.

Derek agreed. "Yup, all the patients from Mercy West are coming here now."

Callie walked over, now an Attending. "Congrats, Callie," Nina smiled at her friend.

"Thanks." Callie said as a nurse passed her a chart. "Well, I've got to go do my job." She hurried off to see a patient.

Nina stood beside Derek, shifting her weight a little as she let out a small sigh. Derek turned to look at her with a questioning look. "You and Meredith should come over for dinner tonight," she said to Derek who nodded, agreeing to ask Meredith about it. Nina then made her way towards Owen, who was calling her and the residents over. Derek went with Callie to look after their patient.

"Help whoever you can," Nina heard Owen saying to the residents. She spotted a patient who needed Cardio so she made her way over there, hearing some more arguing between Cristina and the new guy, Jackson Avery. She remembered him from the elevator.

"Yang!" Nina called over her favorite resident. "Get over here!"

Cristina shot Jackson a glare and made her way over, expect, Jackson stopped her.

"That patient is in my zone." Jackson said smirking.

Cristina glared harder. "She's _my_ Attending."

Nina was getting annoyed that Cristina wasn't coming straight to her side. "Karev!" She grabbed Alex's attention. "Get over here and help me with this patient."

Alex walked over and began immediately helping her by stopping the bleeding which was pretty bad since the patient had been stabbed. The patient was also unconscious so the two doctors worked together perfectly.

~x~

After dealing with the patient who had been cut on his penis, Nina headed to find Mark. She couldn't find him but she did find Derek. "So dinner tonight? Is that alright with Mark?" Derek asked with a grin.

After dealing with the loss of his patient, Derek and Nina had become closer. People always asked if they were together aka cheating on their partners, but they always told the people that they were just friends. "Nerek" was not a relationship and never would be. It'd crush Mark and Meredith had already dealt with the back and forth with Derek.

Besides, Derek was married to Meredith.

"He's been dying to use his cooking skills for other people," Nina reassured Derek with a grin. "He's gotten bored of just feeding Ethan and I. He's going stir-crazy."

Derek laughed. Together, they were talking towards Meredith's room. After going and donating some of her liver for her father, Meredith would be on bed rest for awhile. "I don't know if I'll be able to go. Mere's in the hospital-"

"I get it, really. Maybe after Meredith's home and feeling better, yeah? It was just an offer." Nina answered.

He nodded and together they entered the room. Meredith looked up from the book she was reading. "How are the Mercy West residents so far? Terrible?" She asked curiously.

Nina smiled and nodded to Meredith. "They're causing a lot of problems with the Seattle Grace residents."

"We're all the same hospital now," Derek pointed out as he walked over to greet his wife by kissing her lips. "How are you feeling today?"

"Bored. I wish I could share the same room with George…at least then I could talk to him." Meredith pouted.

Nina thought about it. "I could have George moved here if that is aright with you, Derek. It'll keep both their spirits up."

George had been taking it very hard since being informed that Izzie had died. Everyone in the hospital had been taking it very hard. Nina hoped that it wouldn't push George back from his recovery. He had actually begun to walk around some which was a huge step.

"Sounds good to me, how does that work for you Mere?" Derek asked.

Meredith smiled widely, "Really? That would be amazing!"

Derek nodded to Nina. "I guess it's decided then."

"Yay!" Meredith cheered.

~x~

"I'm depressed, Mere."

"What? Why?"

Meredith was laying in bed, waiting for the nurses to bring George to her room. And while she was waiting, Cristina had shown up. Cristina looked over at her Person. "The Mercy Westerns are taking all my surgeries. One tried to take a patient from me that was _Cardio!_ Nina chose to take Alex into the OR instead of me!"

"We both know Knight would be lost without you." Meredith reminded her.

Cristina huffed slightly, her bottom lip trembling because she was Cardio depressed. She couldn't believe that Alex had stolen a surgery from her and worked with her ideal. "That Avery guy was all over Nina. He better not be trying to move in on _my_ Cardio Goddess!"

"Mark would argue that Knight is his Cardio Goddess." Meredith tried to joke but her person only glared. "Sorry…"

A moment later, George was rolled into the room. He looked up at Meredith and gave her a bright smile. It seemed that all previous romantic feelings towards Meredith were gone, thankfully, and he only wanted her as a friend. Cristina stood and said goodbye before hurrying to find Nina to hopefully scrub in on a surgery. "Hey Mere," George greeted his friend. "Long time no see."

"Funny," Meredith smiled. George's bed was parked beside her so they could talk together freely. "How is your chest feeling today?"

"Doctor Knight checked it this morning. She thinks I'll be able to leave the hospital soon and rest at home. My mom says that I will be staying with her until I'm better." George explained. "But my chest feels fine, thanks to Doctor Knight."

She nodded and listened. "It's a good thing Knight was there to save you. I can't imagine what would have happened if she wasn't."

 _It could only add to the blow that was Izzie's death…_

~x~

Nina moved down the halls of Seattle Grace Mercy West, shaking her head at the long-ass name that made her want to throw something at the wall. She nodded to the nurses and slowly made her way to the Cardio wing. She had a Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting surgery in 30 minutes so she was heading towards her OR.

On her way down, she spotted Callie and who had to be Callie's father yelling at each other in the board room. Nina could faintly hear the both of them quoting the Bible to one another. She winced at the thought of what _her_ father, Joseph, would do if Nina had decided she was gay and liked women.

Nina waited for a moment, as Callie stormed out of the room. "Callie?" She called, causing the other woman to turn to her. "Do you need to talk?"

"No…yes…no I need Arizona." Callie snuffled, before hurrying off down the hall to find Arizona.

Nina began to walk once more towards the OR. And then she got paged to the on-call room. Wondering _what the hell_ , she stopped by and found Mark laying on the bed. "So there you are. I was wondering what happened to you this morning." Nina laughed.

"Come here, I need you." Mark said as he smirked. Nina moved forward and placed a kiss on his lips. "Wanna do a quickie?"

Nina laughed. "I can't. I have surgery in…20 minutes. I've gotta go." She kissed him once more. "I'll see you after surgery. Oh, PS: Derek is coming over for dinner. Love you!"

~x~

When Nina reached the scrub room, she wasn't expecting to find Owen Hunt scrubbing in. "Sorry Doctor Knight, I need this OR."

"What about _MY_ surgery?" Nina demanded, feeling awfully confused.

"If I don't use this OR, this man is going to die." Owen finished and went into the OR.

Nina frowned. She turned on her heels and left, going to find the Chief.

~x~

The day went by quickly after that. Nina hadn't found the Chief, he was too busy running a hospital to sit down and listen to her complain. Mark hadn't been busy so he left early and had taken Ethan out to grab dinner. Nina was just about to leave the hospital, when she spotted the Mercy West residents standing together over head, watching as everyone moved about.

She hadn't gotten to know them very well, besides that they were all suck ups, but they were causing trouble here at the hospital. Nina shook her head and turned to go, Derek stopping her by catching up to her. "Today was a lovely day. I had this resident, her name is Kepner. I suggest that you take her tomorrow if you aren't using Yang." Derek commented.

Nina smiled, "I don't know. Yang seemed pretty upset when I took Karev to the OR today." She and Derek stepped onto the elevator. She was wearing dark jeans, a brown leather jacket, black converse, and a dark purple shirt. "Mark went home early with Ethan to pick up dinner."

"Sounds good to me," Derek replied. The elevator door opened and another attending. Derek greeted him, "This guy's name is Knight too. Small world huh?" Derek chuckled, "Nina this is Elliot. He's an Attending Anesthesiologist."

Nina lifted her head and her eyes met Elliot's. The familiar muddy green met hers and she was staring at the face of her brother, the one who had run away. Nina was stunned into silence and so was Elliot. She hadn't seen him since she was eleven. After all, Elliot had run away after he turned eighteen.

~x~

 **Up Next** : _**I Saw What I Saw**_ : Cathy Becker dies after being caught in a fire with her son. However, nobody is sure who to blame. Nina must also come to terms with her newly found brother, Elliot, and what it means to actually have a brother.

 **Hey guys, welcome back! It has been a long time huh? NOT! It seems the time just flew by. Lol! I was shocked to look at the calendar and realize that I have to finish this chapter for you all. Anyway, nobody guessed that it was in fact Elliot who was going to show up. I couldn't decide if he was going to be a patient, a resident, an attending or what. But here you go!**

 **Should Joseph and Linda come back to Seattle? Should Carly make an appearance? The Knights haven't been completely together in years. But who knows~**

 **Also, next chapter will be mainly from Nina's point of view as she is the main character of this story. Anyway, here are my answers to the lovely reviews!**

 _ **SkittlezxBabex146**_ : Maybe I will. Would you be interested in creating one? ;)  
 _ **snmuenst**_ : I'm glad you enjoy this story. I enjoy writing it. I've been playing around with other ideas to do. I feel like there should be more OC based stories out there. And I checked out that other story and it was taken down. Who knows what happened?  
 _ **h**_ : Hey welcome back. :) Yes, Mark and Nina got some sexy time. I hope you enjoyed the sexy time in this chapter because I found it really hot to write. Ya feel me? I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that it was in fact worth the wait!  
 _ **Patsy**_ : I'm glad you love this and that you love Mina and Ethan. SkittlezcBabex146 suggested that I create an OC for Lexie. You in or no?  
 _ **Spencee98**_ : Yes that flashback is part of the reason why Carly doesn't like Nina. And it is easier to blame someone like Nina than it is to admit that the man you love willingly cheated on you. But who knows with Carly?

 **So thank you all my lovely reviewers. I hope this chapter was worth the wait and I can't wait to hear from you all about this chapter and your thoughts. :) Byee! PS: Please review ;)**

 **Nerdy~**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hidden Truths**

AN: Please read! So I decided to skip over _I Saw What I Saw_ , _Give Peace a Chance_ and _Invest in Love_. There isn't a lot of Mark in those episodes so I decided to skip over them. Originally I was going to write them out but I decided not to. There may be flashbacks but who knows with me? Also, _New History_ is when Teddy appears so I figure that should be fun to write out! Enjoy! (At the end I will explain why I haven't updated since May 20th)

 **Chapter 23: New History**

It had been a long 28 hour shift that Nina was just crawling into an on-call room. She hadn't been able to leave the hospital and she was supposed to be starting her next shift in three hours. Her bed at home was too far away and she knew she may just be called back to work anyway.

 _I need someone else to help me out,_ Nina thought tiredly. As much as she loved her freedom at Seattle Grace Mercy West, she missed the help also. She pushed open the door and frowned when she saw Lexie Grey and Alex Karev making out on the bottom bunk. "This room is taken!" Alex said, unknowingly disrespecting an Attending. He lifted his head from Lexie's breast which he had been sucking on to find Nina standing there, arms crossed and a glare in her eyes. "Doctor Knight!" He gulped loudly.

Lexie was embarrassed and her face turned bright red as she grabbed for a shirt to cover her naked chest with. Alex and Lexie quickly dressed and rushed out of the room, both now embarrassed for being caught.

 _I really have to stop catching Lexie Grey naked…_ Nina thought.

Nina rolled her eyes and huffed as she walked into the on-call room and claiming the bed furthest from where the couple had just been. She fell onto the mattress and fell right to sleep. She didn't even bother with any blankets.

~x~

"Hey Daddy, where's Mommy?"

Mark was in the small kitchen, finishing up some chocolate chip pancakes. Ethan had just arrived to the counter, climbing onto a stool and watching his dad. Ethan wore a random shirt with a dinosaur on it and some comfy blue shorts. Mark lifted his eyes from the pancakes and faced his young, still half asleep, son. "She's still at the hospital." Mark said calmly. Even though he really enjoyed the alone time with Ethan, he missed his girlfriend dearly.

"When will she be home?" Ethan asked.

"Hopefully soon," Mark answered. "Now, how many pancakes?"

~x~

The two males went to the hospital. Ethan was rattling on about the dinner they should make for Nina once she came home. Mark listened as Ethan explained that they should make pizzas, but personalized pizzas. He figured it sounded good to him.

It was as he was entering the hospital that something felt a little off to him. He wasn't sure what was going on, but as he was walking through the halls, he could tell something big was going to be happening at Seattle Grace Mercy West. Ethan sensed his dad wasn't listening anymore and fell quiet as well.

"Dad, do you think Tucker could come over to stay at our house this weekend?" Ethan asked sounding and looking very hopeful.

"Maybe buddy, but we'll have to see what mom says." Mark answered.

Ethan may not have liked the answer, but he took it. When it came to his dad and mom, he knew not to mess with his mom because his dad really loved her.

They got onto the elevator.

~x~

The door cracked open.

"Doctor Knight?"

"Go away!" Nina mumbled sleepily. She had just fallen asleep and she needed to catch up on some sleep before she killed somebody.

The person stood with the light shining in through the hallway. "Um, Doctor Knight, there's a Cardio case-"

Nina sat up, realizing that she was needed. And it was making her extra tired. "And nobody paged me?!" She fixed her hair before getting up, pulling on her shoes and putting everything she needed in her pocket.

The person, Cristina Yang, stood waiting for her idol. "Doctor Hunt brought one of his old friends from Iraq and she's a Cardio Surgeon."

"Somebody was hired for _my_ service and nobody thought to _ask_ or at least _tell_ me about?!" Nina knew she was becoming a little bitchy. But who could honestly blame her? She had barely slept and now she had to deal with Owen Hunt inviting another surgeon onto her service without informing her. "Just who the hell is this Cardio Surgeon?!"

Cristina didn't seem too fazed by Nina's tune. Nina and Christina left the on-call room while Cristina explained about this problem. "Her name is Teddy Altman."

"Altman? I've never heard of this Teddy Altman." Nina said frowning. Maybe that was a good thing, because Nina didn't need any more flashy names at this hospital.

"That was my exact react too," Cristina said, kissing up to her idol.

The two women came to the ER. Cristina pointed out the woman, and Nina wasn't sure how to feel about her. Owen spotted Cristina with Nina and knew instantly what his girlfriend was doing. He went to stop Nina from doing something she may regret. "Doctor Knight, before you-"

"Why exactly did you ask the Chief to hire another Cardio surgeon?" Nina asked, turning to the orange haired man. Her eyes narrowed. Owen was shocked by how much the small woman actually scared him. "Not only did you not ask _me_ if it was alright, you had him hire a woman I don't even know will work well with me. I am the Head of Cardio, Doctor Hunt, not you, who is the Head of _Trauma_."

Owen winced. "I overheard you telling Mark that you need an extra hand around the Cardio Wing. I figured I could get Teddy here to help, at least for a little while." Owen tried to explain.

Cristina peeped in, "Earlier you said she was a present for me. That she would be my personal Cardio Goddess, even though I have Doctor Knight."

Nina closed her eyes and sighed loudly. "Are my teaching methods not to your liking, Doctor Hunt?"

"You're always so busy. I wanted Cristina to have the best education possible." Owen defended himself.

"I teach Cristina just fine. I teach every resident and intern that are willing to listen to me. Cardio is no joking matter. It's serious and I don't enjoy you basically saying that you don't like that I teach _everyone_ and not just your girlfriend." Nina was grumpy as she spat her words at the man. "This relationship you two are sharing, at any other hospital, would cause you both to lose your jobs."

She turned on her heels and left, going to meet this Teddy Altman. She could hear Cristina arguing with Owen about offending her _real_ Cardio Goddess. Nina found the woman stabilizing a patient that should be Nina's. It appeared that she was having some troubles.

"Come on," the woman mumbled to herself, before calling for some petals again. "Come on!" finally, the person stabilized.

Nina waited for Teddy to notice her. The woman turned and found Nina standing there, watching her. "Hey, can I help you?" Teddy asked.

Secretly, Nina was impressed. Very few surgeons would continue fighting for that person's life. "I'm Doctor Nina Knight, your new boss." Nina said, offering Teddy her hand.

Teddy looked stunned before she smiled. She shook hands with Nina. "I've read a lot about you. When I could, at least. I was on tour for a very long time."

"So I've heard." Nina replied. She eyed her before she sighed. "Take this patient to the CT. Get him checked out and if need be, put a temporary Peace Maker in his chest." Nina turned and went to find her boyfriend.

~x~

She spotted Mark with Callie, going to speak with Bailey who appeared to have just sent Richard off to surgery. Something was off about the Chief but Nina couldn't put her finger on it. She walked over to Mark to greet him.

"Hey, where have you been?" Mark asked as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

Nina buried her face into his neck. "I need your coffee," She mumbled tiredly. "And I _hate_ your coffee."

Mark raised an eyebrow. "I shouldn't allow you the heaven that is my coffee for such a foul comment." However, he passed it to Nina because she held out her hand and he loved her greatly.

Callie laughed as she pulled out her phone, turning to Bailey. "So is your patient ready?" Callie asked, ignoring the couple for the moment.

Bailey was about to answer when Adele Webber walked over. "I just sent the Chief into surgery but I could have him-"

"No, I just need you to answer me honestly." Adele said, seemingly annoyed but also a little confused. "Are you having an affair with my husband?"

Nina nearly spat out the coffee she was drinking. Mark made a sound like, 'hey!' because she was leaning into him for support. Callie looked stunned as well. Bailey's face went white. "Of course not! I am not having an affair with the Chief!" Bailey stammered out.

Adele eyed her warily. Callie stepped in, "They're like work married."

Mark, Adele, Nina and Bailey turned to stare at Callie with utter confusion in their eyes. "Excuse me?" Adele asked, sounding offended.

"Work married; I'm work married to Mark. But nothing is happening between us." Callie explained.

Mark frowned, "There used to be-"

Nina turned to give him a death glare. He knew she didn't like hearing about his past relationships. "But there isn't any more. He's with Nina and I have my girlfriend." Callie explained, ignoring Mark's expression and offended appearance.

Adele looked at Callie strangely. She turned to Bailey. "Richard hasn't been in his bed for a whole week. So wife to work-wife, somebody is sleeping with our husband."

Bailey still looked like she had seen a ghost.

~x~

Nina and Mark started for the cafeteria, enjoying being so close to each other. "Ethan wants to make pizzas for dinner. You up for that?" Mark asked. Nina nodded. "Cool. He also wants to have Tucker over for the night some time."

"As long as I have at least a night or two to feel human again, I don't mind having Tucker over. He's such a sweet boy." Nina said. She held onto Mark, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Did you know that Owen had the Chief bring in _another_ Cardio Surgeon _without_ telling me?"

"Wow," Mark replied, "Isn't that a little bit rude."

"That's what I said!" Nina kissed his cheek, "Oh I love you so much."

Mark enjoyed the affection. "I love you too baby."

They grabbed some food, Mark settling for a green apple since he wasn't hungry and if he did get hungry, he'd steal something from Nina's plate. She grabbed a cheese and ham sandwich, a chocolate milk, and a pear. The couple walk to their table and sit down. Mark dug into his apple while Nina opened her chocolate milk.

"You'll be home tonight though, right?" Mark asked.

"I plan to sleep in our bed tonight, yes." Nina answered.

Mark nodded and kissed her cheek. A moment later, Callie and Arizona sat down across from the couple. "Hey," Mark greeted. "How is my work-wife doing today?"

"Work-wife?" Arizona turned to Callie.

Callie shrugged. "I'm work-married to Mark, didn't you know that?" She laughed at her girlfriend's slight glare.

"At least I know there isn't much competition." Arizona shrugged as she opened her salad.

"Hey! I'm a total catch!" Mark defended his ego. "Aren't I Nina?"

Arizona raised an eyebrow, as Nina answered. "It depends on your mood, but yes dear."

"You did sleep with her sister." Callie pointed out.

The three women laughed at Mark's annoyed expression. "Can we move onto Bailey? And her being work-married to the Chief?" Mark asked.

"Nah, it's more fun to bother you sweetie." Nina giggled as she leaned over to kiss his lips. Mark pouted. "Anyway, did you meet the new Cardio Attending?" Nina asked, her voice going from playful to annoyed.

"No, is she good?" Arizona asked, eating some of her salad.

Callie shrugged. "I heard Owen called her a Cardio Goddess."

"We already have a Cardio Goddess at this hospital. And she's _my_ girlfriend." Mark proclaimed proudly. Nina smiled brightly before rewarding him with a kiss.

"You two are sickly sweet." Arizona pretended to gag but she was happy for her friend.

Teddy and Owen walk over to the group, asking if they could sit down. Nina didn't tell them not to, and Arizona was too sweet to say no. Teddy and Owen sat before getting comfortable. "So what are you all talking about?" Owen asked, opening his sandwich.

"Bailey and her being married to the Chief," Arizona informed them. Owen and Teddy both looked a little confused. "The Chief's real wife Adele thought Bailey was having an affair with him. Callie said that Bailey was _work_ -married to the Chief and now it's a thing."

"Mark and I are work-married." Callie added. "And we're both in committed relationships. Look at him with Nina!"

Mark was in paradise with his girlfriend. "The only difference is that I get to take him home…every single night…" Nina said grinning.

They shared another kiss and Teddy looked confused. "Do they always do that?"

"Actually, yeah." Owen said, having been around the couple since the start.

"You'll get used to it." Arizona promised. "Just wait until you see them with their kid."

Teddy couldn't help but want what Mark and Nina had together but with Owen. "Wait…you both have a kid?" Teddy asked.

"You didn't know?" Nina asked, tilting her head sideways. "We have a son."

Callie, ever so the gossip, started her gossiping about her OTP. "They were married a few years ago. It ended after Nina caught Mark in the sheets with Nina's sister, Carly, who is married to this guy who's also great at trauma, Luke. Flash-forward a few months and Nina had Mark's baby without letting him know and she divorced him. Flash forward a few years and Nina ends up at Seattle Grace Hospital - it's what it was called _before_ the merger - and she finds Mark. He finds out the kid belongs to him, wants to be a part of his life, and Mark's with somebody else." Callie explained. Teddy actually looked very interested. "Mark breaks up with his girlfriend at the time. Tries to get back with Nina but she isn't having it because she doesn't want to get hurt. Finally, she agrees to try and they become an item. Carly comes to Seattle Grace and stirs up the drama and then Mark could have been Carly's kid's father as well."

"Wow," Teddy said in surprise.

"I know right?" Callie said. "However, Mark isn't the father so he and Nina stay together. And now they're happily together, and we're all waiting for the invitation to their wedding."

Nina laughed. "That's the rundown version though."

Mark shrugged, "What can I say? We were always meant to be. It's all because of that cab drive." He kissed her lips. "And to think, you kept turning me down!"

She shrugged. "I thought you were an idiot." She turned back to eating.

"Thank God she agreed," Callie continued, "Or else I wouldn't have my Mina!"

"It's going to be okay, Callie." Arizona said before kissing her girlfriend's cheek. "They're together now."

The whole table laughed.

~x~

Later that evening, Mark, Nina and Ethan were in their small apartment and making some pizzas. Ethan was giggling as he basically piled his pizza with cheese. "I love cheese mommy!"

"I know you do baby." Nina kissed her son's head with a fond smile. After being away from home for so long, it was nice to be back in their apartment.

Mark grinned as he did his with bacon and cheese. He added some veggies while he watched his family. Nina smiled as she noticed her boyfriend glazing at her. She kissed his lips playfully before turning back to her own pizza. Hawaiian pizza was her favorite.

Ethan smiled as Mark picked up his pizza first and put it in the oven. Nina was finishing her pizza and she couldn't stop the way she smiled.

After dinner and a messy Ethan getting a bath, finally Mark and Nina were in bed. They were facing each other and simply staring at each other. "I love you." Mark uttered after moments of silence. He reached forward and touched her cheek.

"I love you too." Nina smiled, answering as she closed her eyes.

"Nina," She hummed to let him know she was listening even though she was nodding off. "Marry me."

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **Holidaze**_ : It's the holidays. Nina is unsure how to cope with Mark's proposal even though she loves him. They've been married once and that didn't work out. Mark keeps pressing for her answer and she has none to give. Where will this leave them?

 **So guys, I am so, so, so, so, SO sorry for the wait! I know it's halfway through July, summer vacation, and there should be more updates. But, listen, I'm going into grade 12 next year. I'm going to be super busy and I have a summer job! (Yay me!) I work Tuesday-Friday, 9-3:30 and then Saturday, 3:30-8. I have been meaning to write but I lost interest for awhile.**

 **Then,** _ **sloansballas**_ **write a review and I couldn't help but be…how do I word this? I wanted to write again. Nobody had left me many reviews and I was like, "is anyone reading this anymore?" and yet, there were! I was so happy. And this is what came out of it. Sorry if it isn't good…I tried, okay?**

 **REVIEWS:**

 _ **95**_ : I hope you enjoyed this! Thank you!  
 _ **sloansbellas**_ : I'm glad you're enjoying this. I've been sort of writing an AU for Mina (Mark/Nina). It's basically where Nina comes to Seattle Grace but she's in a relationship. Everything is the same besides that fact. It's sort of interesting! Let me know if you'd be interested in reading it!  
 _ **Patsy**_ : Very likely that Meredith and April will butt heads. Glad you enjoyed it! Lexie should get an OC, shouldn't she? I just don't think Elliot is the right match for her…heehee… What does MFEO mean?  
 _ **h**_ : Ethan is a very special little boy, huh lol. Elliot will not be like Carly but he isn't going to be welcomed by Nina so easily. He ran away when he turned 18 and hasn't spoken to the family since. I'd be a little pissed myself honestly. I hope you enjoyed the Mina moments in this chapter!

 **Please, everyone write me a review and let me know what you're thinking. Tell me if you don't like Nina, or if Nina should say yes. Tell me what you think of Elliot. Tell me if you'd like to see Carly and her family come back. Tell me if you'd like to see some side-pairings and if so, which ones?**

 **Also, check out "** _ **What Is Real and What Isn't?**_ **" :** Meredith wakes in the hospital after Amelia's wedding. She's confused about where she is and what has happened. (Set after Season 12 finale)

 **It's my new fanfic and it's another Grey's. Also, let me know if you'd like to read "** _ **Off Limits**_ **":** Summary: Nina Knight stumbles into Mark's life after seven years of being apart. He's shocked and then excited because he wants to make it up to her for sleeping with her sister Carly…expect, Nina's off the market... (AU to Hidden Truths!)

 **What do you think? Would it be worth it to read? LET ME KNOW IN THE REVIWS!**

 **Also, tell me if Nina should say YES or NO to Mark's proposal!**

 **Bye, I love you all so much! Don't hate me for being so late!**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy~**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hidden Truths**

 **Chapter 24: Holidaze Part 1**

 **Reviews:**

 _ **Leah Tatyana Nichole**_ : lol I really enjoyed _'One More Night'_ by TW712 (complete), _'Seeing Double'_ by SweetSouthernSass (in progress), and _'Mrs. McSteamy'_ by rdrose (complete). And once I get around to it, and finish a few more chapters, _'What Is Real and What Isn't?'_ will also be a Mark/OC story. And if you want more Mina, I maybe am posting _'Off Limits'_ sometime soon. ;) Thanks for the review!

 _ **krista**_ : I'm sorry you feel that way. You don't have to read it if you don't like it. But some others would like to read more about Mina.

 _ **RebornRose1992**_ : I'm glad you think so! I shall! Enjoy chapter 24!

 _ **High Guardian**_ : I think she should say yes too ;)

 _ **sloansballas**_ : Thank you for the review. It snapped me back into writing Mina and made a lot of people happy. *heart* I also enjoy Mark/OC stories but I also enjoy Meredith/Mark. Crazy, I know! xD I feel like the panic is actually very much like the Nina we've come to know, am I right? She loves Mark but she's also scared of being hurt again. Hmm….Nina opening up to Mark? I'm sure it's going to happen. I mean, I am a hope Nina/Mark fan and I need my Mina! Lol

 _ **Patsy**_ : I'm sorry about the Site thing. I tried to get a handle on it and it looks like it's working now. And OH! That makes sense lol. And _"What Is Real and What Isn't?"_ is now up.

 _ **Gretchen**_ : I'm sorry again for the site problems. :(

 _ **Guest**_ : I have no idea what happened, honestly. It is working fine now.

 _ **snmuenst**_ : They do belong together, don't they? Lol we'll see if she says yes ;)

 _ **RebornRose1992**_ : You're welcome!

 _ **h**_ : It is very true that Nina has walked in on Lexie a lot. There will be a lot of Teddy vs. Nina drama to come. ENJOY! #MinaIsLife ;) Thank you for the review!

 _ **Guest**_ : We'll see if Nina says yes to Mark. And Elliot, he's going to get a chapter one of these times…hopefully soon. He just hasn't come up yet LOL!

~x~

Last Time:

 _After dinner and a messy Ethan getting a bath, finally Mark and Nina were in bed. They were facing each other and simply staring at each other. "I love you." Mark uttered after moments of silence. He reached forward and touched her cheek._

" _I love you too." Nina smiled, answering as she closed her eyes._

" _Nina," She hummed to let him know she was listening even though she was nodding off. "Marry me."_

Nina was stunned into complete silence. She couldn't breathe. She turned her back to Mark and uttered quietly, "Good night."

~x~

After a week, Mark was getting desperately worried. Nina hadn't given him an answer and he felt like he was losing her somehow. He needed to spend some time with his best friend and was scrubbing in on one of her surgeries. Callie was fixing a bone and Mark would be closing up so there wouldn't be any scarring.

"So has she said anything to you?" Callie asked, sick of the silence that was in her OR. She wouldn't turn on the radio because she could see that Mark needed someone to talk to.

"No! She hasn't said a word. At least, not about the proposal. I've tried to bring it up a few times but she keeps making up excuses or changes the topic completely." Mark sighed loudly. "I need to know, Callie. I want to really settle down this time. I want to have a family and a house, I'm _ready_!"

Callie asked for her saw and then kept working. "Is she ready? Because from what you've told me, you sprung it onto her…"

"Ethan told me that Nina wanted to get married to me. It had been a perfect day, okay? Sure Teddy coming to work here without her knowledge sucks, but we still had a perfect day." Mark stated, as if defending himself to his best friend. "It just came out of me, I had to ask her and yeah, maybe it caught her off guard, but doesn't she want to have a future together?"

Callie turned to look at Mark as she finished using her saw. She removed the broken bone and then started fixing it with some metal. "Maybe she's scared. The last time you two were married, she caught you sleeping with Carly."

"Carly and I are finished. I'd never go back to her! I love Nina!"

"Maybe it isn't Carly she's worried about…" Callie trailed off, trying to hint to Lexie.

Mark gave her a funny look. "Lexie? No, not happening. Lexie is interested in Nina's brother, remember?"

Callie shrugged. "It doesn't change the fact that Nina caught you two doing the dance with no pants."

"That was one time!" Mark blushed, remembering when Lexie had broken his penis and Nina had caught them. "Besides, I left Lexie for Nina."

"I'm just saying, Mark." Callie said.

But it did get Mark thinking…

~x~

"You took a girl's heart out of her chest?!"

"It was either I took it out and she lived, or she died. I did what I had to save her life."

"You didn't ask me! You didn't consult me at all! I'm the Head of Cardio! Not you!"

Nina was pissed. Teddy had just decided out of the blue to take a girl's heart out of her chest. This woman was now on a machine hoping to live. It was good that the girl had lived and all, but Nina felt like Teddy was trying to outshine her.

Teddy was also annoyed. Her job was to save lives and it felt like Nina was always trying to block her from completing her job as a surgeon. Both women were frustrated with each other. "If I had of stopped to ask you, she would have died." Teddy stated.

"And you didn't think to send a resident or intern to inform me? Or at least page me?" Nina demanded. Her eyes were a bright green but you could see the fire in them as well. "I should fire your ass for failing to inform me."

Teddy's eyes narrowed. "Then what will you do about our patient?"

Nina frowned. "You shouldn't be speaking back to me."

Teddy rolled her eyes as Nina turned on her heels and walked away. The two Cardio surgeons did not like each other very much.

~x~

Nina went to go check on Kelsey and Mike, since Kelsey could very well sue the hospital. It was as she was walking that she ran into Mark. She could barely speak to him, terrified that he would ask for her answer when in reality, she had no answer to his proposal.

"Nina could we talk?" Mark asked.

She swallowed. "I have patients-"

"It isn't about the proposal," Mark sighed. He could see her shoulders un-tense a little. "It's about Thanksgiving. Are we doing anything? Because I think Callie is hosting something with Arizona. Are we going? Are we spending it alone as a family?"

Nina released that it was Thanksgiving. "I totally forgot, shoot! Um… I don't know what we're doing. I think my parents are going to Carly's this year…so I'd assume we'd just have it as a family, but going to Callie's sounds like a plan to me."

"I'll let Callie know we're coming." Mark replied.

Nina quickly kissed his cheek. "I have a patient without a heart who needs me. I'll speak with you later." And she rushed off.

~x~

"She's acting like being in the same room as me is torture. What am I supposed to do Callie?" Mark sighed. He was sitting on a stool, in a yellow gown for the ER and handling a patient who had been trying to cook a turkey but ended up burning his leg. He was cleaning the wound.

Callie was working on a patient next to Mark and his patient. She was dealing with a man who had been lifting a turkey out of the fridge and ended up breaking his wrist. "Give her space, Mark. She'll come around." Callie reassured him while she worked on her own patient.

Mark wasn't convinced. "She isn't thinking of breaking up with me, is she? Because I'm happy with her and Ethan! I've never been happier. I can't imagine losing her." Mark sighed.

"Doctor Sloan?"

"Yeah?" Mark lifted his eyes from his patient and turned, pausing in his ranting fit to Callie about Nina. His eyes landed on a cute, young blonde. She was the sort he would have slept with if he wasn't in a committed relationship and ready to marry Nina.

"Hi! Um…this is a little weird…" She began, "But um, my name is Sloan Riley, and ah, my mom is Samantha Riley… and um, I'm pretty sure you're my dad…."

Mark's eyes nearly fell out of his head as he stared in utter shock at the blonde. He had a daughter?

~x~

Callie sent Mark and Sloan into the board room to wait for her while she collected the supplies for a paternity test. She had to tell Nina but Mark had said he wanted to know first before dragging his girlfriend (and possibly fiancée soon) into this without knowing.

Mark stared at his 'daughter' with curious but cautious eyes. He didn't want the test to come back positive and for him to have a daughter who was actually over 18. Nina would kill him.

"Hey, how's it going in here?" Callie asked as she stepped into the room, clenching the supplies for the test.

"Great."

"Fine." Both Mark and Sloan answered at the same time.

"Okay…" Callie said as she set the box down on the table.

She had Sloan hold out her arm on the table, clench her fist and let her take the blood. Callie lifted her eyes to see Mark staring still at Sloan. He could see the similar features but he hoped that it was just his mind playing tricks on him. He already had a kid and he didn't want to lose Ethan or Nina because he had passed affairs.

As Callie tried to get Mark to speak to his possible daughter, Derek entered in the room. "Callie, could you spare Mark? I need him for something."

"Sure, take him. He isn't being a big help here anyway." Callie replied, giving her friend a slight glare.

Mark shrugged, got up and followed Derek out of the room.

~x~

Nina stood behind the counter, helping Arizona with dinner. Callie was enjoying some Ethan time while the turkey was cooking.

"Auntie Callie, watch me!" Ethan yelled as he jumped from the couch.

"Ethan Marcus Knight," Nina said in a firm tune. Ethan yelped before rushing into Callie's arms. "You aren't supposed to be jumping from the furniture, are you?"

Ethan shook his head and said sorry to Callie. Callie laughed. "Nina, its fine. He's only having a little fun."

Nina wasn't too sure. Ethan pulled out some crayons that he had stored there for when he got to spend time with Callie and Arizona, and began to color with Callie in a coloring book. "Auntie Callie, when is daddy getting here?"

"He should be here soon." Callie said.

Nina looked down at the potatoes she was cutting the skin off of and washing. She hadn't been able to face Mark since being asked if they were going to Callie's for Thanksgiving. Callie and Arizona had become their family. However, Nina was still struggling with her answer to Mark.

"Do you want to talk about something?" Arizona asked, turning to her friend, "Because I'm a really good listener."

"Mark wants an answer. But…I don't have one. Sure it'd be nice to give Ethan a 'proper' family and all, but I can't go through seeing him with another woman…" Nina sighed as she felt her shoulders droop.

Arizona wanted to say something about Sloan, Mark's daughter, but she kept her mouth shut about it. "Mark loves you. I have never seen him so in love with someone before." Arizona reassured her, "And he's slept with Callie. So that has to count for something, right?"

Nina laughed slightly. "I love him too. It's what has kept me from dating other people while we were apart." She smiled down at the potatoes.

Right then, there's a knock and then the door opened. Nina, Arizona, Callie and Ethan raise their heads. "DADDY!" Ethan shouted as he ran forward and threw himself into his dad's arms.

Mark caught his son and kissed his head. "Hey buddy,"

"Hey." All three ladies said.

"Hi!" Sloan closed the door behind Mark who was carrying Ethan.

Callie, Arizona and Nina give an awkward, "hello…" back. Nina gave her boyfriend a strange look. Mark held Ethan who was giving the blonde a friendly smile, "Daddy, who's this?"

Callie gulped, "Who wants wine?"

Nina answered yes and Sloan raised her hand, "Me!"

Mark shook his head. "No you don't." Sloan gave him a funny look. Nina frowned at Mark. What was going on? No one had informed her that Mark had a daughter apparently. "The results are in!" Nina blinked in confusion. "Sloan here was right. I am her father. And Nina, Sloan will be staying with us for awhile."

Nina felt her heart stop. Mark had another child?

"Daddy, does that mean I have a sister?" Ethan asked, sounding excited. Nina ended up fainting and hitting her head off the fridge.

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **Holidaze Part 2**_ : Sloan hasn't left Nina, Mark and Ethan's apartment. Nina is still without an answer to Mark's proposal but it's leaning towards no. And now its Christmas time at Meredith's and the Sloan-Knight family couldn't be more out of whack.

 **Thank you for reading and please leave a review down below. The more reviews I get, the more likely I am to write and post a chapter sooner. ;) I have a busy life guys and I'm willing to write, but I need to know someone is out there reading this story!**

 **Anyway, see you next update,**

 **Xoxo**

 **Nerdy~**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hidden Truths**

 **Chapter 25: Holidaze Part 2**

 **A/N: I had this almost finished a week ago but then somehow, I lost the file *cries***

~x~

Christmas was ruined.

Nina already wanted the holiday to be over and it used to be her favorite. It was one of the only times in the year when she could be home with Ethan and not have to worry about the hospital or work. Instead, as she sat beside her son helping him wrap his present for his half-sister Sloan, her mind raced.

Teddy had proven to Nina that she couldn't be trusted. Kelsey was still without a heart and Nina could see her patient was losing hope. Not to mention, Nina was losing hope. She could see how much pain Kelsey was in without her heart.

She couldn't even begin to imagine being without her heart.

"How's this look mommy?" Ethan asked a wide grin on his face as he showed off his poorly wrapped present. It was a mess, but Nina could see that he had tried. She could only hope that it was good enough for Sloan.

"It looks beautiful, baby boy." Nina praised him. She helped him write on the nametag. They were finishing up wrapping presents. Under the tree, Callie's, Arizona's, Mark's, Derek's and Meredith's, and Cristina's presents were already wrapped. Ethan and Nina had picked out the presents together.

Callie was getting a wine glass with "World's Greatest Aunt" on it. Arizona was getting a chocolate kisses Christmas tree that Ethan had made. Mark was getting a travel coffee cup that had a drawing by Ethan inside of it. The picture was of their family, including the words "I love you daddy". Derek and Meredith's present were some cookies they had made. Nina had decided to be kind to her star student, Cristina, and got her a solo Cardio case that would be taking place the day after Christmas.

"Do you think Sloan will like it?" Ethan asked. His blue eyes were wide with the hope of a child and a bright smile on his face.

Nina nodded. "I know she will."

Ethan had made extra special cookies for Sloan and a drawing of him holding her hand, with the words "World's Best Sister. Love Ethan."

It had touched Nina's heart, but tomorrow they would see if it touched Sloan's. Nina kissed Ethan's head before she stood up. Ethan ran to the TV and turned it on; watching one of his favorite Christmas shows the cartoon version of _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_. Nina went to the dining table they had to set out the plates. They were getting Chinese food for Christmas Eve dinner.

As she was setting out the plates, Mark walked over. "Baby, will you please ask Sloan how long she'll be staying?"

Nina knew that Mark was trying to connect with his daughter but was failing. They had barely said five words to each other, instead speaking through Nina and Ethan. "Why don't you ask her yourself? It's been a month and you've barely spoken to each other." Nina would love more than anything to have the girl gone. It was a reminder that before her, Mark had had past relationships with women. It hurt to think she wasn't the only woman to have Mark's baby.

Mark sighed, "I just don't know how to talk to her."

"You didn't know how to talk to Ethan at first, but you tried anyway. And now look, you and Ethan are like best friends." Nina pointed out, setting the last plate down before moving over to hug her boyfriend. "Just try, okay? That's all you can do." She kissed his cheek.

Mark sighed once more but he nodded. He kissed Nina's cheek before going to speak to his eighteen year old daughter.

He smiled at her and Sloan looked offended. "What are you looking at, you old perv?" Sloan demanded to know.

Mark smiled weakly, looking embarrassed before rushing off to watch cartoons with Ethan. That he could do.

~x~

Nina and Mark were paged to the hospital. So, in the spirits of the holidays and refusing to leave her son with a babysitter, Nina brought Ethan to Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. She walked into the hospital and went to see Kelsey.

Apparently, Teddy was once again acting without thinking or consulting Nina. Kelsey asked to go outside and that was what Teddy had done, brought their heartless patient outside. Kelsey had crashed and now Nina was more than just annoyed. She was pissed!

"Could you watch my son for a minute?" Nina asked a nurse. The nurse nodded and Nina went to speak with Teddy. She walked straight up to the much skinner woman. "What exactly is your problem? You took our heartless patient outside? IN THE SNOW?"

Teddy turned from the chart. "She wanted to go outside. I couldn't say no to her. She's scared and it's Christmas."

Nina rolled her eyes. "Because it's Christmas, it makes it magically okay to take a very sick patient outdoors? Awesome. Great!" She was very upset and you could hear it in her voice. "No, Doctor Altman, you made the wrong call. And I can't keep having you make these sorts of calls. You are permanently off this case."

Teddy was stunned and then shook her head. "You are not able to do that. She's _my_ patient!"

"Not anymore, I will be her doctor from now on. Go home or something. Because this little stunt you pulled made me leave my home with my son on _Christmas Eve_ and for what? A stupid decision? No. I will not allow this to happen, especially when Kelsey could very easily sue this hospital because of your poor decisions." Nina frowned. "Now get out of my sight before I fire you. And I can do that because _I'm_ the Head of Cardio, not _you_."

~x~

Nina went to bed without Mark beside her, since he was busy working with Derek on the prototype. She assumed he'd crawl into bed at some point but when Ethan came running into the room screaming about it being Christmas, she was saddened to see that Mark wasn't in bed beside her.

It got her thinking about his proposal. She let Ethan drag her into the living room where the presents were all set out and ready to be opened. She watched as Ethan ran to wake up Sloan who was sleeping in a makeshift bedroom with fake walls closing her in.

"Wake up Sloan! It's time for presents!" Ethan gushed with excitement.

Nina sighed, heaving Sloan grumble about wanting to sleep in some more. She thought of Mark instead, in that moment. Did she want to marry Mark again? Last time their relationship had been rushed. Was this being rushed? Were they moving too fast? They already had a son and anyone who met them always assumed they were married. It would make her parents happy to see her finally married but was that the right choice for her?

"Mommy?"

She lifted her eyes from her lap, which she had been staring at, to see Ethan making his way over to her. "What's wrong baby?" She asked, worried when she spotted tears in his eyes.

Ethan crawled onto her lap and cuddled into her chest. "Sloan said bad words to me. And when I said she had to pay the swear jar, she yelled at me to get out of her room." He began to cry into her breasts.

Nina tried to calm him down, rubbing his back and kissing his head. "Oh my baby boy…" She cooed.

Her pager went off, and Nina sighed. Ethan looked up at her with heartbroken eyes. "Do you have to go to the hospital?"

"I believe so buddy," Nina could see that he wanted to tell her to stay. "Why don't we go in together? We can find Daddy after and maybe even Uncle Derek. Would you like that? Then we can open presents together."

"Auntie Callie and Auntie Arizona too?" Ethan asked, sounding a little hopeful. The tears slowly stopped running down his chubby cheeks.

"Of course baby boy." Nina kissed his head. "Now go get dressed. Okay? We'll grab McDonald's on the way for breakfast."

"YAY!"

~x~

"Her bowl is dying. We need to do something quick."

"I know, but we can't put her under anesthesia. She doesn't have a heart. She won't make it."

Bailey and Nina were talking about a plan on how to do this. They had to do something for Kelsey, because otherwise, she was going to die. Nina had left Ethan with a nurse while she spoke with Bailey. "Maybe we shouldn't put her under General."

"Are you saying we should keep her awake?"

Cristina was watching Nina and Bailey chat, since Kelsey was also her patient. She had been upset when she was told Teddy wasn't on the case, but it just meant she got to spend more time with Nina.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Bailey answered.

"If you believe you can do it, then go for it." Nina replied. "Now, I have to go find some people so my seven-year-old doesn't throw a fit. Merry Christmas."

She walked away.

~x~

Nina was fixing Ethan's hair, waiting for Mark to bring around the car to the front of their apartment building. Arizona was holding a box filled with presents from the Sloan-Knight family. "Thank you for holding those." Nina said to her friend.

"Oh no problem, I understand that its hard work making sure the little man is good looking." Arizona reassured.

Ethan beamed with pride. "I look like my daddy."

Nina kissed his forehead and turned to see finally Mark making his way over with the car. Sloan rolled her eyes, waiting for Mark to stop the car. She got into the front seat even though Nina usually sat there.

Mark got out and helped with the presents, putting them safely into the trunk. Arizona thanked him and then got into the car. Ethan sat in the middle and Nina sat beside him. Mark got back into the driver's seat and took off carefully. Nina pretended to ignore the way her boyfriend didn't mind Sloan sitting in her seat.

~x~

"Here's some wine."

"Thank you." Nina thanked Meredith for the glass. She took a sip of the red wine and sighed happily. Ethan helped his dad put the presents into a neat pile near the tree. She watched with love in her eyes.

Meredith smiled, "You're welcome." And then she went to work on dinner.

Sloan was sitting on the couch, watching Arizona, Richard and Owen singing to some Christmas carols. Nina shook her head at the sight of her, before walking over to Derek. "Hey, Merry Christmas." She hugged her friend.

"Merry Christmas," Derek answered as he hugged her back. "I see Ethan is already telling Mark what's what."

Nina laughed as she pulled back, turning to look at her son. "He knows what he wants."

Derek chuckled. "So Mark purposed eh? When were you going to tell me?" He playfully poked her with his elbow.

She shrugged. "I assumed Mark would tell you."

"And your answer is….?"

"I don't know," Nina sighed. "I should say yes, right? But there's this nagging feeling of _what if?_ What if we get married and then regret it? I think my parents would have a cow if I got divorced twice."

Derek understood what she meant. His mom hadn't been happy when he divorced Addison. He took a sip of his wine. "What does your heart say?"

"To say yes," Nina admitted. "I do love him. I'm sure he's my soul mate. But…there's always the 'what if'."

Right then, Nina spotted Lexie Grey making her way over to Mark who had let Ethan organize the presents. She sighed at the sight, knowing that the young woman still had feelings for Mark.

Mark turned when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He expected it to be Sloan or Nina, but instead he found Lexie. Lexie smiled up at Mark. "Hey," She greeted.

"Hey…" Mark raised an eyebrow. "How have you been?"

"Good, since I was hired at Mercy West before the merger, I was able to get a job back at Seattle Grace. It's nice to be back at the hospital." Lexie explained. Mark had been curious as to how she had gotten her job back. She had sort of worked the system. "Anyway, how have you been?"

Mark shrugged. "Nothing's been bad,"

"I've heard around the hospital that you proposed to Nina…." Lexie didn't like the thought, because she was still sort of in love with Mark. She flashed him a small smile. "So you two are engaged?"

Mark wasn't comfortable talking about this with her. "That's none of your business."

"Did she turn you down?" Lexie asked.

He was about to answer when Nina moved over to Mark's side and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Hey babe," She kissed his cheek. "Meredith asked me if we could set the table for dinner. I told her that it was fine. So would you mind?"

"Sure," Mark let Nina lead him away from Lexie who was ticked off. They grabbed some plates and set them out. "When are we opening presents? Ethan looks really excited."

Nina shrugged. "I believe after supper."

~x~

The table was crowded. However, Nina, Mark and Ethan were sitting together. Mark was sitting by Nina, Ethan was on Mark's other side, Derek was sitting beside Nina, then Meredith beside Derek at the head, then the Chief, Lexie, Thatcher, Arizona, Cristina, Owen, Bailey, Bailey's dad William, and then Sloan on Ethan's other side.

Bailey was talking about saving Kelsey's bowl but William cut her off. Nina understood that William wasn't a surgeon so he didn't understand that talking about bowls were normal. Everyone else was a doctor and understood the joy in saving that girl's life. Ethan asked his dad for some turkey and Mark got him some, making sure to cut it some more so it was easier for him to eat.

"Thank you daddy," Ethan smiled.

"No problem kiddo," Mark smiled and kissed Ethan's head. "Do you want some turkey Sloan?"

Sloan shook her head. "Nah. I'll have to just throw it up later."

Nina frowned and sighed, earning a small chuckle from Derek. "What are you laughing at?" She poked his side.

"You," Derek answered with a small smirk. "I'm laughing at you."

The room fill quiet when Bailey began her small rant about her son being loved and her being happy. Nina took hold of Mark's hand, just needing to ground herself in a way. She listened and felt like she understood Bailey's words. Ethan was loved even though his parents weren't married. Dinner was awkward but at least they were surrounded by family.

~x~

It was New Year's Eve when Nina had had enough. Sloan was showing no signs of leaving and she missed having her full living room. Ethan was constantly being yelled at by the teen because 'he was too loud'. Finally, Nina went up to her boyfriend and crossed her arms. "Go talk to her, right now Mark Sloan or else we will not be having sex. I'm sick of the way she treats Ethan!"

Mark swallowed. He hated the thought of no more sex with Nina. He walked over to Sloan and wondered what was going on.

Sloan turned to him. "I can totally tell that you're about to kick me out. I can see that she doesn't like me because I am totally hotter than her. But I'm pregnant. Yeah that's why I dropped out of school and my mom kicked me out. I know you don't owe me anything but I can tell you about to kick me out and I don't have anywhere else to go." Sloan could feel tears threatening to fall.

"It's going to be okay…" Mark promised her gently.

~x~

Early New Year's Day, Nina did the surgery. Teddy was still steaming about losing her patient but she didn't snap at Nina about it. Nina was standing outside of Kelsey's room, watching as Cristina wrote some notes in Kelsey's chart.

Mike, Kelsey's boyfriend, pulled out a ring and proposed to Kelsey. Nina thought about what she could mean for her and Mark. Yes, she loved him more than anything. She was going to say yes. She smiled as she decided that she _did_ want to be married to him once more.

Nina went to find her boyfriend (soon to be fiancée). She found him standing outside of a boy's room with Derek and Arizona. She moved forward and he smiled upon seeing her. "Nina," Mark greeted.

"Yes." Nina uttered before she kissed him passionately. Mark responded but was confused. When she pulled back, happy tears were rolling down her cheeks. "Yes I'll marry you Mark Sloan."

Arizona and Derek begin to clap for their friends. Mark's smile widened and he kissed her again before picking her up and spinning her around. "Really? You mean that?" Mark asked after setting her down.

Nina nodded. "Of course I mean it. I love you like I've never loved anyone before. It's always been you. Even when I was single and able to date other people! I could never get you out of my brain and it's always been you. You're my world, Mark Sloan, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to be your wife again and I want to have a few more kids with you."

Mark smiled brighter and pulled her close, kissing her as he dipped her.

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **Blink**_ : Nina and Mark are finally engaged again. They couldn't be happier even though Sloan is still staying with them and apparently pregnant. However, Sloan's baby is at risk and Addison is brought back to Seattle from LA. Ultimatums are given and chaos is ensured.

~x~

 **REVIEWS**

 **Guest** : I'm sorry about the wait, truly, but I've been crazy busy. However, my summer job is over so I'll be able to write for the next two weeks before school. But my nephew is home and I'm going into grade 12. Fair warning about the lack of updates!

 **Leah Tatyana Nichole** : Oh shit what?

 **Patsy** : I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

 **Lil-B-Rebel** : Yes, poor Nina. But I wouldn't say poor Nina anymore ;)

 **snowangel** : That makes me so happy to hear! Nina will be making a stand against Sloan soon ;)

 **sloansballas** : Chaos is ensured I'm sure. It's Sloan and Nina isn't one who likes sharing her man.

 **h** : I never liked Teddy and I could see her having some issues not being in control of the Cardio Wing. But Nina put her in her place. Anyway, yes, a lot of things are piling up. But at least Nina and Mark are happy, right?

 **RebornRose1992** : I shall keep going! Lol welcome back :)

 **I'm sorry everyone for the wait. However, my job is over for the summer. Yay! So I have two weeks of relaxing and enjoying my nephew being home. :) Just fair warning, I don't know how long I will be until next chapter but I'm hoping to go back to one chapter a week. How does that sound? :) ANYWAY REVIEW PLEASE!**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy~**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hidden Truths**

 **Chapter 26: Blink**

Nina was sleeping peacefully, feeling her fiancée spooning her from behind. She smiled when she felt Mark's hand going up her shirt and gently rolling a nipple. She sighed happily, arching into his touch. Since she had said yes, Mark hadn't been able to keep his hands off of her.

"Well good morning…" Nina murmured while grinding her hips into his, feeling his morning wood against her bum. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Mark grunted gently, rolling her nipple before bringing his hand down to her womanhood. "Sloan needs an ultrasound. Could you please do it?"

Nina hummed as she turned to face him. "Why would I do that? I'm a _Cardio_ surgeon. I am not an OB/GYN." She murmured back, sighing as she felt his fingers beginning to work her clit. This man… He was her world. "Oh!"

"Not even if I do this?" Mark kissed her lips before kissing down her front, crawling on top before slipping her panties down. Nina nearly gasped when he finally put his lips where she needed them. Mark spread her legs and then placed his lips on her clit. "Sloan likes you. All the Sloan's do…"

She moaned as he began to lick at her clit and twirling his tongue around it.

"Is there anymore cereal? OH GOD!"

Nina whipped her head to the door, seeing Sloan rush away. Mark pulled away from her, jumped out of bed and pulling on a pair of pants as he went. Nina sighed and flopped into the pillows. She pulled herself out of bed and pulled on some shorts. She entered the kitchen and found Sloan glaring at her father.

"I'm sorry, we'll grab some more this afternoon." Mark apologized to his daughter.

Nina rolled her eyes. "She was the one who didn't knock." She walked over to the bathroom. She needed to shower.

Mark ignored Nina. "How about some orange juice?" he asked Sloan, before offering her some money.

"I'm going to need more…" Sloan added before Mark gave her more money. "For lunch." She explained.

Nina huffed slightly. She wasn't the sort to share. She turned and almost reached the bathroom.

"Could you hold off? I'm gonna need to throw this up." Sloan added, turning to Nina.

Nina glared at the other woman but the pleading look Mark sent her, caused her to sigh. She turned and walked across the hall to Arizona's, Callie's and Cristina's apartment. Cristina was eating cereal at the counter, humming. "Could I borrow your shower?" Nina asked.

Cristina turned and swallowed. "I would usually jump at the chance, but Owen's in mine."

Nina nodded and went to Callie's. She knocked on the door, not wanting to barge in like Sloan had during her sexy time with Mark. Callie shouted that she and Arizona were inside, so Nina turned to Cristina. "I can't believe Mark is putting her before me. We're going to be getting married and all he seems to care about is his daughter." Nina huffed.

Cristina raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Try cock blocking him."

"I wish I could, but she's cock blocking me." Nina pouted. It felt like it had been too long since she last had Mark inside of her. Her thoughts wandered.

Mark on top of her, panting and looking at her with love in his eyes. His member deep inside of her while working on fucking her…. Mark's fingers working on her clit while making her scream. Oh the thoughts!

Cristina could tell her mentor's brain wasn't there anymore with her so she finished her cereal. Callie and Arizona left their bathroom. Nina finally started for it but Callie shook her head, "There's no more hot water."

Nina turned to Callie and winked. "I wasn't planning on using hot water anyway."

~x~

She wasn't sure why, but she found herself with Sloan during her ultrasound. It reminded her of her visits while pregnant with Ethan. Nina was about to start but then she spotted Lexie Grey. "GREY!" She called, causing the girl to stop. "Do this ultrasound for me…I'm being paged."

Lexie wanted to say no but she was dragged in and was told to do Sloan's ultrasound. Nina went to the ER. She was being paged to check out a high profile case, Tom Kates.

Derek was already working on Tom when Nina arrived. "Hello Mr. Kates, I'm Doctor Knight." Nina greeted. "Doctor Shepherd paged me because you're having troubles with panic attacks? And they're affecting your heart."

As Nina was looking over the patient, Elliot walked into the room. He stared at his sister in surprise. Nina lifted her eyes and looked at him. Elliot's eyes caught her ring. "His name is Doctor Knight too, you two married?" Tom asked.

"No, we aren't married." Nina reassured him. As she finished up, Callie popped her head inside. Nina asked Meredith to get a few tests done for her while she went with Callie.

~x~

Nina was watching a video about Tom's big hit. She found it pretty cool that he was going to be alright, she was sure. However, when she lifted her eyes from the screen, she found Addison Montgomery with Mark, _**her**_ Mark! As much as she wanted to yell at the woman, since Addison had broken Mark's heart, she knew that Addison wouldn't be here if she wasn't needed.

Everyone greeted Addison happily. Nina stood back, watching with sad eyes. The last time Addison had come, she had brought Carly with her to this hospital. "Couldn't get enough of Seattle?" Nina asked, sounding a little bitchy.

"Mark called me here," Addison answered. Nina turned to look at her fiancée with question in her eyes. Addison caught sight of her ring. She grabbed Nina's hand and looked at it. "Oh who's the lucky guy?"

Mark looked proud. "That would be me, but we have to go see Sloan."

Addison nodded. "Congrats, who would have thought you'd be a grandfather and be getting married at the same time?"

Nina huffed as she watched the pair walk away together.

~x~

After Sloan's failed surgery, Mark told Nina that Sloan would be moving in with them permanently. "I know I should have asked you first, but Nina, it's the right thing to do." Mark stressed.

They were standing in the middle of their apartment, which was becoming way too small for their growing family. Ethan was in his room, working on some homework and coloring some pictures for his family. Sloan was still in the hospital recovering from her surgery.

"I get that it's the right thing to do for you. She's your kid." Nina said sighing. She knew Mark wanted to be a father, really badly. But he also had Ethan, who had told her last night that he missed his daddy. Mark was constantly busy with Sloan. "What I don't understand is why I'm doing it."

"Because you love me and it's what families do." Mark answered her. "We're a family Nina!"

"Of course we're a family, Mark. But I'm not ready to be a grandmother to a baby who isn't even my child's baby. Ethan's only seven." Nina sighed. She could tell this was going to be a big fight. "But it wasn't just your decision to have her move into our home where she bullies Ethan."

Mark was offended. "Sloan doesn't bully Ethan. She's our kid, Nina. We have to help her out."

"She's _your_ kid, not mine. Ethan is my baby and he's hurting Mark. Sloan hates him and she yells at him all the time. Earlier she told Ethan to pack up his toys because she needs his bedroom." Nina crossed her arms. "We can't keep living like this. She's hurting Ethan."

"Sloan needs us Nina. This is a chance to make things right between me and her. It's my chance to raise a baby from start to finish!" Mark pointed out.

Nina could feel tears threatening to fall, "And what about our future babies? Do they not matter?"

"Don't make me choose Nina,"

"Why? Because you'll pick her?"

Nina could feel the tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.

"…Yes…"

Nina and Mark stared at each other. She took in a deep breath. "I think our relationship just ended." She took off the ring and gave it to him. She kissed his lips once more before turning. Mark watched nimbly as Nina packed up some clothes and Ethan's stuff before they walked out of their apartment…and out of his life.

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked**_ : Nina claims Izzie's old room for her and Ethan to stay in while she gets her feet under her. She's heartbroken from her breakup with Mark. Derek is struggling between choosing Meredith and turning the Chief in. Nina finds out some not so amazing news.

 **Reviews**

 **NicholeR85** : Thank you so much! :D But it looks like Nina did try and ended up losing Mark…

 **Guest** : Thank you! I'm glad you like it!

 **h** : Yes poor awkward Mark…but right now, I'm upset with him. How could he do this to Nina? Oh well. I hoped you enjoyed chapter 26!

 **sloansballas:** I'm glad you're enjoying it! I hope you continue enjoying it

 **Bella** : Really? I'm glad to hear it! Wow, one sitting?

 **Hey everyone, another update :) So quick, huh? After rewatching Grey's, I saw this scene between Lexie and Mark, and I could see it happening to Nina and Mark. So yes, this happened. Mark and Nina are no longer engaged or together.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy~**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hidden Truths**

 **Chapter 27: I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked**

Nina was having trouble settling into Meredith Grey's home. She had had asked Derek if she could stay with him until she got back onto her feet. She had to leave Mark and their apartment, she couldn't stay there, especially with all the memories that they shared there. Ethan was upset but excited to be staying with his Uncle Derek.

So yes, Nina was tired. Ethan and she were staying in Izzie Stevens' old room, sharing a double bed and struggling with the aftermath of Nina's breakup.

At the moment, Nina was watching Bailey's hot chemo surgery. She was tired and not feeling so hot. She missed Mark. Derek had been kind and brought Ethan to school this morning so Nina could have a shower in peace from her seven year old. Nina wasn't sure what to make of Callie and Arizona. Originally they were Mark's friends and they should be taking Mark's side, since Nina had Derek. Except Arizona had sided with Nina. Callie was indifferent.

"She's seen me, so I'm going to go get some coffee. I have a headache." Callie groaned.

Nina looked over at Arizona who leaned forward to whisper, "I know something that can cure a headache that doesn't need coffee."

Nina was jealous. She missed the person who would do that for her. Mark was in LA with Sloan so Nina was free to run around the hospital without the fear of running into him. She couldn't imagine what she would do if he was there. They were broken up, no longer getting married and if Nina knew her ex as well as she did, well, you could say that she knew he would be boning stupid Addison.

And yes, Nina was jealous of the redhead. She was nothing compared to the hotie. Her hair nearly never worked for her, she got pimples, and she had stretch marks from her pregnancy. Addison had never had a baby. Addison had perfect hair, she always said the right thing and she was beyond beautiful.

Nina couldn't compete with her.

She could feel the burning in the corners of her eyes, meaning she was about to start crying all over again. She cried constantly. After she put Ethan to bed, Nina would cry beside her son, holding him close. She felt like she couldn't do anything right. She must have waited too long to say yes to Mark. Maybe that was why he chose Sloan over her.

She stood up and quickly left the room, noticing that Teddy was going for her seat. She didn't care at this point; she just needed to get out of there and to a bathroom. She needed privacy so she didn't lose her tough image.

No…Nina needed Derek. She reached the bathroom and went straight to checking under each stall door, making sure no one was there. She broke down crying as she entered the last stall and closed the toilet seat. She pulled out her phone, needing Derek at that moment. She dialed his number, knowing that he was still at home this morning. After dropping Ethan off, Derek had to come home to see Meredith.

Nina was sure the couple were fighting again about something or boning.

Oh Mark use to bone her so amazingly. Why couldn't she have her Mark-y poo back?

" _Hello? Nina? Are you alright?"_ Derek answered the phone, sounding worried. Nina could hear that he also sounded annoyed. So he and Meredith must be fighting. She could hear the blonde through the phone and she didn't sound pleased. _"Can this wait? Meredith and I are in the middle…"_

"I'm sorry for calling Derek I just…never mind…" Her voice broke.

She could hear Meredith complaining about Nina needing Derek constantly now. That Nina didn't have Mark and was going after Derek. That wasn't the case, Nina just needed her best friend, but she could see Meredith's point. She'd be annoyed if a woman started clinging to Mark - wait, that wasn't her problem anymore.

" _Nina? Why are you crying? I'm on my way to the hospital now."_ Derek replied.

She sniffled. "Arizona and Callie are having sex, Derek. I-I miss Mark…" And she then cried harder. It hurt her to face the fact that she wasn't happy anymore. For eight years she had been okay without Mark. She had walked away from him and his cheating ways, and then she had Ethan, her pride and joy. Why couldn't she feel joy anymore?

Mark messed with her emotions like no one ever had and she constantly let him. She let him back into her life. She let herself love him again and look what happened. He broke her heart…again.

" _Oh…Nina, it's going to be okay. How about after work we go to Joe's? I'm sure Bailey would understand if you asked her to watch Ethan. She has Tucker now, doesn't she?"_ Derek sounded slightly out of breath. Nina figured he was getting into the car. She figured also he may have run to his car.

"Mark loves Joe's!" Nina pulled her knees to her chest, sitting on the toilet seat. She buried her face into her knees, holding her phone to her ear.

Derek sighed quietly. _"Maybe getting drunk is a good way to take your mind off things. I hate hearing how upset you are Nina."_

"I hate how much I love him, Derek. I hate that I let him in and that I _love_ him. I hate that I can barely sleep alone anymore. For years I was fine and now? Now I can barely walk down the halls of this hospital without thinking of him!" Nina heard someone enter the bathroom, so she bit her lip hard to stop herself from crying louder. When she got going, she could sound like a whale or something. It was disgusting.

But, Derek dealt with it. He would hold her and let her cry her eyes out.

" _Shh Nina, I'm on my way. Where are you?"_ Derek asked.

She sniffled. "The lady's room…"

Mark really had broken her.

~x~

Nina cleaned up before going to the Attending's lounge to wait for Derek. She was cuddled up in a chair, her knees to her chest, her shoes kicked off and a box of tissues in her lap. She was staring down at her left hand. Only a few days ago had there been a ring on her finger… So much had changed in such a small window of time.

Derek found her staring at her finger with a blank expression. He hadn't seen that expression on her before. He changed into his scrubs and then moved over to the chair. "Nina? Are you okay?"

She lifted her head and looked up at Derek. "Mark promised to do the big wedding this time around. Last time we got married, we got married in city hall." She admitted. Her voice cracked a little. "He also said we'd have a few more babies before growing old together. Why did that all change?"

Derek pulled Nina into his arms and held her gently. He put all the drama he was dealing with at the back of his mind. His best friend needed him. "Shh…Mark's an idiot. Once he realizes just what he's lost, he'll come back running. I know he will. You're amazing Nina."

She looked up and sniffled again. "I don't think I can handle him leaving me again… I-I think I don't want him back…" Nina laid her head on Derek's shoulder and closed her eyes. Derek was silent but held her close as Nina gripped onto him for support.

~x~

Nina was paged to a patient's room. Derek told her to page him if she needed him again before he left to finish his conversation with his upset wife. Nina wished that she had someone like Derek.

She came to the patient's room and found Callie isolated and Lexie Grey working on paper work. Arizona was standing beside the doors, watching from outside. "Why was I paged?" Nina asked, trying to hold it together.

She was almost positive that Callie would hate her. But it looked like she hadn't lost her friends with her fiancée. Arizona turned to her. "I snooped through your files and found that you've had the chicken poxes. Little Grey is looking after Callie right now…but… Callie needs a friend right now."

"I don't think she'd want to see me." Nina admitted quietly, shifting awkwardly.

"Because you and Mark broke up? That's crazy. You and Callie are friends. She gets that she can't choose sides but I think she'd be on your side." Arizona rambled. "Besides, Mark was the one who proposed to you and then chose his daughter. I get wanting to choose his kid but he has one with you and you've basically promised him as many babies as he wants. Sloan is a special lady but I can see that she's just using Mark."

Nina could feel the tears again threatening. "Um…excuse me…" She turned and rushed away. As much as she loved Arizona, she needed space. Just talking about Mark was making her emotional. She ran straight into Kian Valentine, the asshole Head of Ortho doctor who totally made Nina's heart race. She wrote him off originally because she loved Mark. "Sorry!"

"Oh it's nothing," Kian reassured her. He had been carrying some coffee and when Nina ran into him, he ended up slipping the coffee all over his chest. Kian flashed her a slightly flirty smile. "Would you mind helping a guy out?"

Nina would have just said no. But there was nothing holding her back besides her emotions. "Come on…" Nina walked beside Kian to one of the many Attending's lounges to help clean Kian up some.

~x~

Callie was resting in her bed, her gauze paws wrapped around her arms as she slept. It wasn't a great sleep, since she was itchy and wanted to scratch.

She woke up when she felt the need to itch. She opened her eyes and saw Mark, sitting in a green chair beside her bed. "You look like hell." He grinned playfully.

"I've got chicken poxes…stay back…I'm contagious." Callie said sadly.

"I had 'em when I was six." Mark replied as he pulled off his shoes. Callie looked surprised by this information. He crawled into bed.

Callie moaned in slight pain as she was shifted before settling in. "How was LA?"

"It was good. During the surgery, Addison nicked one of the arteries but she fixed it. Sloan and the baby are okay." Mark answered. Callie nodded sleepily. "And I slept with Addison. I gotta tell Nina…"

"No."

"What? Why? But its Nina... she's so good!"

"You lie."

"Really?"

"Yeah…" Callie was drained. "I hurt….!"

Mark shifted over top of her and got behind her, spooning her and beginning to rub her, helping her with her itching.

From outside, Nina was passing by. She was on her way to make sure Callie was okay. Instead, she overheard Mark admit _himself_ that he had slept with Addison.

Tears filled her eyes and Nina ran away once more. Her stomach turned and she rushed to a bathroom where she threw up.

It wasn't the first time Nina had thrown up in the past few days. When she finished, Nina felt so sick. She cried over the stinky toilet.

"Doctor Knight?"

Nina wiped her eyes and tried to collect herself. She stood, flushed and exited the stall. "What?" She demanded, moving over to the sink to wash her mouth out.

It was Cristina. Cristina was watching Nina with confusion in her eyes. "Are you okay? Because I've noticed in the past week you've…you've been throwing up a lot."

It was true. Nina thought about what the issue could be. When it clicked, she excused herself from Cristina, muttering, "I'm fine!" before running to find Derek or Bailey.

~x~

Bailey had gone home early. And Derek was too busy with an upcoming surgery and his wife. So Nina had no one to turn to. Except… Her brother Elliot was standing right there. Nina knew Mark didn't care for him and that meant Elliot couldn't really blab.

"Doctor Knight?" Nina asked, sounding annoyed.

Elliot lifted his head from his paperwork. He had just gotten out of surgery with Teddy. "What can I do for you, Doctor Knight?" He flashed a boyish grin.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"If I couldn't, I shouldn't be a doctor…"

"Good, because I need the doctor in you which means you can't tell anyone."

"Okay…"

A half an hour later, Nina had her test results back. She's expecting a baby.

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **State of Love and Trust**_ : Derek is now the interim chief. Nina is going to her first ultrasound and dealing with the aftermath of her surprise pregnancy. Kian begins to grow on Nina as a possible friend - which is all she can handle right now. Elliot becomes an alley for Nina. Mark deals with the weight of his "secret" affair with Addison from Nina.

 **REVIEWS**

 **Sadi385** : I hope you enjoyed :) And this was quick, wasn't it?

 **Animelover78861** : Yes it was hard core. I could barely write it and then I could barely write this chapter out. I hate seeing Nina and Mark upset with each other. But yes, he should have picked Nina. I can't promise that he won't get back together with Lexie. ;) I love causing drama and angst!

 **Bella** : Well, I think it's cool that it took only you one sitting. I don't think anyone has ever done that before! :D And yes, their relationship is so toxic but they're so right for each other. They've been gravitating to each other for many years, similar to Meredith and Derek. But it looks like Nina has drawn the line. She can't handle much more from him, especially with her pregnancy hormones. We'll have to see about future greatness between the two! Mark has a lot of making up to do.

 **Leah Tatyana Nicole** : I'm glad I caught you sort of off guard ;) Then I'm doing my job as a writer! But it looks like Kian will be making a show with Nina… Nian! New ship ;) NIAN! NIAN! NIAN! Nian vs. Mina! ;) Who do you side with?

 **Sloansballas** : I'm glad you enjoyed it. :) I think I will be popping out the chapters from now on until school starts. (I'm a sucker for angst too!) We'll have to see if Mark sees what exactly he has lost because Nina is pregnant and a baby is exactly what Mark wants. Oh well. Glad you love it because I love writing it for you!

 **Hey guys. So yes, Nina and Mark are broken up, Mark slept with Addison, Nina is pregnant and Kian is slowly making his move. No, Derek and Nina will** _ **NOT**_ **be getting together. They're only friends. Nina helped him when his patient nearly destroyed him and he's helping her get back onto her feet after Mark broke her heart.**

 **Also, I'm updating in the same day…that's because I'm just popping out these chapters quickly! And I'm not sure when I'll be able to write once school starts back up in the fall (September 8** **th** **) because I will be in grade 12. Ugh!**

 **We're also going to be seeing how Elliot and Nina get along. So sibling drama is coming! BEWARE!**

 **So what do you guys think of Nina's upcoming pregnancy? Tell me down in the reviews if you'd like a GIRL or a BOY. Also give me some name suggestions. And, tell me which couple you prefer:** _ **Nian**_ **(Kian/Nina) or** _ **Mina**_ **(Mark/Nina)!**

 **I love you all so much!**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy~**

 **PS: REVIEW! Let me know your thoughts!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hidden Truths**

 **Chapter 28: State of Love and Trust**

Even though it had been a few days, Nina was still struggling to come to terms with her pregnancy. She knew that she would need to tell Mark at some point and then there were her crazy religious parents. She felt like she drowning in emotions.

She hadn't even been able to tell anyone. She couldn't say it out loud.

Pregnant. She, Nina Knight, was pregnant.

At least Ethan was being good. Later that day, Nina had her first ultrasound with the official her OB/GYN. She was nervous but also slightly excited. Once she knew how far along she was, she could actually talk to people about it. Thankfully, Elliot knew how to keep his mouth shut and hadn't spoken to her about it yet.

Nina stood in line for the coffee kart. She needed something to keep herself somewhat awake. She remembered from her last pregnancy that she was able to drink one cup of decaf and there was no way she was giving up coffee. She was a surgeon who basically lived at the hospital. She worked on hearts. She needed to be awake and that meant she needed coffee.

"Good morning Doctor Knight." A smooth voice pulled her from her thoughts. She turned and found Kian behind her, grinning playfully.

She smiled back in return. Since finding out that Mark had slept with Addison and that she was pregnant, Nina felt like she deserved some fun in her life. She saved lives for a living and when she went home, she dealt with a moody seven-year-old. And in that moment, Kian was that fun. He was risky and sort of off limits. She liked that. "Good morning Doctor Valentine, how are you this morning?"

"Ready for Doctor Shepherd's big speech. I hear it's going to be exciting. Sending off all those Mercy Westerns!" Kian chuckled. Nina stepped up to the person at the kart and ordered herself a decaf mocha. "Decaf? Wow, I never would have pegged you as a decaf girl."

"Do you usually have a lot of opinions of strangers?" Nina couldn't stop herself. She flirted. Yes, she would never overstep any lines, especially so close to a breakup. But she liked the way Kian made her feel…he made her feel sexy.

She paid for her coffee and then waited for Kian to get his. "Oh sassy, I always like 'em sassy." Kian flirted right back with her.

It sure felt weird being flirted with by someone who wasn't Mark. Nina actually liked it. "Come on, we're going to be late to the speech." She couldn't miss her best friend's big speech. This was a big day for him.

~x~

Nina stood beside Kian, Callie, Arizona and Cristina. Kian joked with Callie about Derek's suit even though Nina thought it made him look professional and attractive. No, Nina did not have a crush or anything on Derek, but she could admit that he was attractive. She wasn't blind.

Owen walked over to the group and joined them. Nina noted that Owen looked stressed out about something, but when wasn't he stressed? He was a trauma surgeon and lost an equally amazing trauma surgeon because of an affair that happened eight years ago.

Nina felt eyes on her. She slowly turned, wondering who was staring at her. She figured it would be an intern who hoped to work with her one day. Instead, she found Mark. She was speechless. She was upset that he had slept with Addison but she was more upset about the fact that he had waited so long for her answer about his proposal and when he got it, he decided to choose his daughter over her.

She narrowed her eyes at her ex before turning and facing Derek, who had begun his speech. She and Ethan were still staying with Derek and Meredith, so she knew she would need to tell him about her pregnancy soon.

Her head turned when there were whispers. She spotted Richard. Her heart went out to the man. He had given her a place in this hospital and he had basically started her surgical career. So yes, Nina was saddened by the sight of her old mentor. She loved Derek since he was her best friend but Richard had done so much for her. She wasn't sure whose side she should be on.

Derek dismissed them before going with Richard and the board.

Nina checked her phone for the time. She was supposed to be in OB/GYN soon. She pocketed her phone and then started for the OB floor.

Briefly, her eyes met Mark's before she turned her back on him.

~x~

Nina was nervous. Her last pregnancy she didn't have much support. She had herself and her friend Amy to help support her. Now she was a single mother and was pregnant. She hadn't spoken to Amy in a long time, not since she had moved to Seattle. Maybe she should call Amy up, catch up and chat. She was sure Ethan missed his Auntie Amy.

"Nina Knight?"

She stood when her name was called and she walked over to the OB nurse. The nurse smiled at her and led her to a small room with an ultrasound and some other equipment Nina faintly recognized from her residency.

"The doctor will be here in a moment. Why don't you lay down and unbutton your pants so the doctor is able to get straight to the ultrasound. This is your second baby, is it not?" The nurse asked.

"Yes this is my second baby." Nina nodded her head, watching as the nurse left. She unbuttoned her pants and lifted her shirt up, grabbed a towel to cover her waist and then she laid down. She thought of her son Ethan. He would surely want a sibling.

He constantly asked about getting one. And Nina had been on board originally, but now Mark and her weren't together. How was Nina supposed to raise a child and take care of a newborn _alone_? Oh she was going to lose her mind, she was sure.

Nina was snapped out of her thoughts when the door opened. She turned her head and was faced with a woman with black hair and purple tips. She was staring at a clipboard so Nina couldn't be sure what her eyes looked like. The woman looked to have a curvy body but with a little on her body, not a fat woman by any means but a larger woman.

She looked up and grinned at Nina. "You must be Doctor Knight, correct? I'm Danny Grimes and I'll be your OB for this experience." Danny smiled. Her eyes were a strange color, a grey near white almost. She held out her hand and Nina shook it. "So where is the daddy dearest?"

"He doesn't know I'm pregnant." Nina admitted with an uneasy feeling. Danny seemed like the sort of woman who was a tomboy but also very helpful.

Danny sat down on her chair and got ready to do the ultrasound. "Hmm…so Nurse Katie told me this is your second child?"

Nina nodded. "Yup. My son, Ethan, he's seven."

"Wow, that's a good age. He's in grade two now, correct?"

"No, he's in grade three," Nina shook her head. Danny got everything ready and continued to chat with Nina. "He's actually almost finished school this year."

"That's awesome. I have a kid of my own. She's eight." Danny said shrugging her shoulders. "Her name is Nevaeh."

"That's a beautiful name. Is she in grade three?"

"Yeah, I think she's actually in Ethan's class because I remember her talking about a boy with the same name." Danny explained. "Now…let's see baby Knight…"

 _Baby Sloan_ … Nina sighed at the thought but focused on the ultrasound screen. "Can you see the gender?" She could do it herself, but she wanted to relax and enjoy all the perks of being pregnant. She deserved to be pampered.

Danny showed Nina her baby before looking for the gender. "It looks like the baby has its legs closed so I can't see the gender. But it looks like you're about… twelve weeks pregnant. Your due date should be around the end of October or early November. The due date actually looks to be October 28th. Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Nina said with a slight sigh. It was February right now so it was a long ways to go before she reached October. Danny took a picture of the baby's face before letting Nina clean up her belly.

Once she had her picture, Nina left the OB/GYN wing and went to head to her only surgery planned for the day. She had decided to let Teddy take care of her precious wing today because she knew she'd be distracted by her pregnancy. As she headed to the surgery floor to check out the board to make sure her surgery was still a-go, Nina thought about Mark. Every time she saw him, she could see that something was bothering him; she figured it had something to do with sleeping with Addison after Nina broke up with him.

Nina missed Mark. She felt like she was incomplete without him and she deep down that that wasn't healthy. She could be her own person and she had someone else counting on her too now. Ugh.

She looked down at her stomach. "It looks like it's just you, me, and your big brother Ethan against the world. How does that sound? I think it sounds lovely."

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **Valentine's Day Massacre**_ : its Valentine's Day and Nina is feeling depressed, but somehow she has agreed to go with Kian to a fancy 'romantic' restaurant because she has nothing better to do and Ethan is with Mark, who is trying to convince Sloan to keep her baby. And then hell breaks loose because the restaurant Nina is at (while waiting for Kian) the roof collapses! Nina is brought to the hospital in an ambulance while Kian was caught up in surgery.

~x~

 **Hey guys, I'm so sorry that it has been FOREVER since I've updated, but I have an excuse. WRITER'S BLOCK. And there's this called grade 12? Heard of it? Lol**

 _Leah Tatyana Nicole_ : Exactly, exactly! Mark should stay away from Addison but I guess he just can't stop himself.

 _H_ : Isn't it? I love the Nerek friendship! Not much from Mark this chapter but I feel like Nina needs time to focus on herself and her family, which is growing and yet she's still single. Darn… Anyway, I totally agree with you. We'll see how Mark reacts when Nina is in the hospital.

 _Taffyrose_ : Cool username! I'm glad you are for Mina. :) And thank you, I have worked really hard to keep the characters themselves and not too OOC. But I am a huge Mark Sloan fan too and I hate that they killed him off :(

 _Bella_ : I am with you. I was thinking about the relationship and yes it's toxic, but look at Derek and Meredith for example. Their relationship was very toxic too but they're together now. Isn't that what counts? *heart* we'll have to see if Nina and Mark can get passed their differences and come together.

 _Snmuenst_ : I totally agree with you girl, they were sad and it is only going to get sadder. Hold on! And I'll keep the gender in mind for you ;)

 _Sloansballas_ : Sorry for the wait on this chapter though, it just _wouldn't come freaking together UGH!_ But it's here now so yeah. Well, it is obviously happening because Nina agrees to let Kian take her out on a date on Valentine's Day ;)

 _Guest_ : Okay I'll keep that in mind ;)

 _Guest_ : A lot of people seem to agree with you. Nian for now but Mina is the endgame. I agree 110% with you! Right now there are two votes for Baby Girl Sloan and one for Baby Boy Sloan.

 _Guest_ : Here it is!

 _Guest_ : *heart*

 _PorcelianPuppetLady_ : I'm sorry but I've been stressed with school and dealing with school, my nephew (who came down to visit me yay!), and barely having anyone in my classes. Ugh I hate high school. Anyway, here is chapter 28!

 **So there you have it folks. I'll try to get back into habit of updating every week but it is unlikely. I'm feeling every Monday. Does that work for you guys? Let me know down in the reviews! Also, here are the votes so far for the gender of the baby:**

 **2 - Girl**

 **1 - Boy**

 **Let me know what gender you'd like and give me any name suggestions. And that includes middle names and the last name. Should the baby be a Knight like Ethan and Nina or a Sloan like Mark? Tell me your thoughts!**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hidden Truths**

 **Chapter 29: Valentine's Day Massacre**

Nina wasn't sure how or why she at the restaurant but she was. It was called _Grandnetti's_. She was sitting in the middle, eyes glued to the menu while waiting for Kian. She had originally was going to turn him down but then remembered tonight Mark had Ethan and she wasn't interested in being depressed any more than usual.

So there she was, sitting at a table with a white tablecloth, a rose in the middle of the table and a glass of orange juice in front of her so she could sip on it while she waited. She checked the time on her phone to see how long it had been. They were supposed to meet at 7pm but it was already 7:30pm.

Nina looked around and felt very embarrassed. She could feel her hormones taking over and tears filling her eyes. She couldn't help but feel like Kian had stood her up. _Mark never stood me up…he always made sure to text me or call me if he was going to be late…_ Nina thought, sulking. She tried to hold in her tears, not really wanting to cry here and ruin her makeup.

 _Mark would say I'm beautiful even if my face is a mess…_ Nina also thought. _And then tell me I don't need makeup because I'm already beautiful_.

The longer Kian made her wait, the more she thought about her ex-husband/fiancée. God that must be confusing to people who don't know them! _Yes, I divorced Mark…. Yes we got back together and then got engaged before breaking up again. Problem?_ She sighed. She pulled out her phone to check her messages. There was nothing from Kian but there was a message from Mark telling her that Ethan was being good, had done his homework, had showered and was now watching a movie with Mark.

Her heart hurt. She missed Ethan and she missed Mark. Why had she agreed to go out with Kian again? Oh yes. Because he was fun and she needed more fun in her life. As she quickly typed up a reply to let Mark know that Ethan had a dentist appointment tomorrow at 9, so he'd need to be dropped off at school after, the roof collapsed.

Nina tried to scream but she ended up being hit in the head and she was knocked out.

~x~

Mark had been paged into work even though today was supposed to be his day off. He had taken today and tomorrow off to spend time with Ethan, whom he rarely could see anymore because Nina moved out of their apartment. After Ethan and Nina had moved out, Sloan had claimed the extra bedroom as her own and had basically lived in there until her much needed surgery.

She would be coming home tonight which Mark was excited about, another reason to have Ethan over. Mark was convinced Ethan was excited about becoming an uncle even though the boy became very quiet when he was told Sloan was coming home. He had left Ethan in Sloan's room so Sloan could have practice and then went to find Callie.

He needed to find out if his best friend knew how to put together a crib. He was going to be a great grandfather for this baby.

"Hey Callie, do you know how to put together a crib? Because Sloan's coming home tonight and I think it'd be a great surprise for her." Mark explained.

Callie looked confused at the sight of him. "Aren't you supposed to be home enjoying guy's night with Ethan?"

"I got paged in so I left Ethan with Sloan. I think it'd be great practice for her." Mark explained further. They walked together before Mark spotted a blonde. He needed a break from brunettes and redheads. They only seemed to break his heart and cause him trouble. At least blondes were supposed to be fun and he needed something to keep his mind off the fact that his ex-wife/fiancée had left him and took his kid with her.

Callie watched as Mark went over to flirt with the blonde only to find that it was Lexie. Mark jumped in surprise, cursed his luck and turned on his heels before anything else happened. As much as he was sure it'd be fun to sleep with Lexie, she'd just complicate things further.

His life was already hectic without her in it.

~x~

Owen and Derek were jogging onto the scene, both not expecting such a huge trauma. Callie stepped over and explained what was going on. It was then as Derek was trying to hear himself think between April and Callie talking at him that he saw her.

A team were pushing her passed them; her eyes closed, her long brown hair which had been curled earlier was turning a deep shade of red and her skin was extra pale. Derek started moving towards her, knowing who it was straight away. Cristina was looking for a Cardio case when she spotted the woman as well and moved right over, taking over before Derek could reach her as April stopped him, asking him if he was going to see the reporters.

Cristina began to work on stabilizing the woman. She was gasping for breath, clenching both her stomach and chest. Her green eyes opened and looked at Cristina whose heart broke even though she swore she didn't have a heart.

"Y-Yang…." It was Nina whom Cristina was working on. It hurt to talk since a piece of glass had cut Nina's neck and had _almost_ hit her jugular. Cristina put pressure on Nina's neck to close the bleeding wound. Nina winced. "I…I'm pregnant…" She wheezed.

Cristina looked stunned as she glanced down at her mentor's belly. She nodded and then yelled for Neuro. Derek was over in a second, beginning to check on Nina's function. "Doctor Shepherd, she's…Doctor Knight is pregnant…"

Derek cursed before Nina's eyes fell shut, her hold on Derek's hand, which she had grabbed, loosened and then she passed out again. "Get her to a MRI and a CT, stat. I don't care, you get her in. Tell the people there that she's my patient."

Cristina nodded and then took Nina up for a MRI and CT.

~x~

Callie had just found out that Sloan was going to give up her baby. Mark would be crushed further since he had lost his fiancée and child over this. She tried to convince Sloan to at least tell Mark before she ran off. "You should tell him at least, wait until he's off work."

"No that is exactly what I'm trying avoid! I'm not ready to be a mother." Sloan explained before they ran into Mark. She showed him the ultrasound picture to keep him from asking questions.

Mark grinned at the picture. "Why that is the Sloan nose," He said with pride. Then he gets paged and he had to go. Callie wished she could tell him his daughter was sending his grandson away.

~x~

Ethan stood beside Arizona, looking at the woman on the bed who was still sleeping from her surgery. Arizona had decided to step in when Cristina paged her to tell her everything that had happened. Nelson had to operate on Nina, and they had nearly lost the baby. So Arizona had taken Ethan from daycare, which his sister had sent him to, and brought him to wait for his mother since that was what he wanted.

He stood staring blankly at his mother. He looked at his aunt. "That doesn't look like my mommy…" Ethan uttered quietly.

Arizona hated to see those tiny tears forming in Ethan's eyes. She wrapped her arms around him and held him gently. "She's been in an accident. She's just healing. But we can go if you'd like…"

Ethan shook his head, knowing that he had to be brave for his mother. "She'll be all alone." He moved over to his mother's side and grabbed her hand. Arizona nearly started crying as she watched Ethan kiss Nina's pale hand. "Mommy, if you can hear me…please don't die. Don't leave me with daddy." He whispered to her. "I love you mommy and I understand that sometimes people have to go to heaven…Grandma Linda told me that. But I'm not ready to let you go…but I know that if you need to go, I understand. Grandma Linda told me sometimes things happen that we don't want to happen but those things are better for other people." He kissed her hand once more.

Arizona left the room to let Ethan talk to Nina, feeling that he needed some privacy. Cristina was standing watch, glazing at the two with saddened eyes. "I hate it the most when kids are involved," Cristina admitted, "Especially Ethan. Like, why do bad things happen to good people?"

Arizona had never heard the other woman speak so honestly before, especially about children. "I don't know…did you page Mark?"

Cristina shook her head. "I know Nina and I know that she wouldn't want Mark to see her like this. There's also the fact that she's expecting and she obviously doesn't want Mark to know that."

Arizona understood. "I hope she wakes up and gets back to normal quick. No kid Ethan's age should see their parents like this."

Cristina agreed and the two women continued to watch Ethan with his mom.

~x~

After an hour of simply sitting beside his mommy, Ethan decided he needed his Aunt Amy. It had been forever since he had last seen her and he knew she would want to be here. Ethan kissed his mom's hand once more before going over to the door to his Aunt Arizona. "Auntie Arizona, can you call Doctor Amy Reins? She's in Boston but she'd want to be here…"

Arizona didn't know who Amy was but she nodded. "I'll have a nurse call her right now." She disappeared to go ask a nurse to call Amy Reins.

Cristina watched the boy. "Do you want anything to eat?"

Ethan shook his head. "No thank you, I'm going to sit with my mommy again." He waved before going back to his seat and taking hold of his mother's hand once more. For being only seven years old, Ethan reminded Cristina of herself a little bit and she hated the mere thought of it. She hoped Nina pulled through.

~x~

It had been the closest thing Derek had to been to an OR in a week. He was standing watch, watching as Bailey worked. He turned when he heard a door open. His thoughts were filled of Nina and how pale she had been. He hadn't gotten the chance to go visit her because he had been pulled away by reporters. He was planning on going to see her in a few minutes.

Mark entered the gallery. "I'm going to be adopting Sloan's baby," Mark commented. "I'm doing it with Callie. As much as I love Callie, I wish it was with Nina."

 _Doctor Knight is pregnant_ … Yang's voice rang inside of Derek's head. Nina was pregnant. Derek knew that it had to be Mark's since Nina had admitted to him once that she had only ever slept with Mark in her life. "Do you think that's wise?" Derek asked.

Mark frowned. "Why wouldn't it? Sure it'll be hard-"

"Nina was in the restaurant when it collapsed. She nearly died Mark and all you care about is a baby that isn't really yours. Yes it's your grandson but what really matters more? Sloan and her baby or Nina and Ethan?" Derek demanded. He was sick of seeing how upset his best friend was over her breakup with Mark. Yes, Mark was his brother but right now…Derek was in Nina's corner and he was protecting her fiercely.

Mark looked stunned and confused before it dawned on him. The love of his life had nearly died. He turned and then ran off to find Nina and to see her.

~x~

When Mark finally found Nina's room, he stopped and stared at the scene. Nina was awake and holding Ethan in her arms, kissing his head and telling him she loved him greatly. Another woman was in the room though and Mark hadn't seen her since the last time he lived in Seattle.

Amy Reins, Nina's best friend way back when. Mark was stunned as he watched the woman help Nina eat and petted her hair, before kneeling beside Nina and Ethan. Amy looked much older than she had ten years ago. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a messy pony tail, her blue eyes focused on the small family on the bed and then Mark watched as Amy rubbed Nina's arm in support.

Amy kissed Ethan's head while the boy snuggled in his mother's arms. Mark knew right then that he was a shitty father but he wanted nothing more than to be Ethan's dad.

His eyes focused on Nina. Her head was wrapped, some of her hair had been shaved to do stitches after her brain surgery and she was hooked to a lot of machines. Her head was also wrapped nicely. He wished he could go to her but right then, he was simply an outsider watching in.

And it broke his heart completely.

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **The Time Warp**_ : Doctor Amy Reins tells Derek that she will be staying at the hospital to help her friend recover and take care of Ethan. Derek learns that the feisty blonde is a Neuro surgeon and had been working on waking patients from comas. And when Derek brings back lectures, he asks Amy to share one of her famous stories: the time she woke a patient from a coma.

 **Hey guys, welcome back. What did you think? Are you excited to see more of Amy? Because I'm honestly excited to write her out. She has always been a character I wanted to explore but didn't want to rush. So Nina got into an accident and Amy has come to save the day - like she usually does.**

 _Lil-B-Rebel_ : Yes poor Nina but don't worry, she has Amy in her corner.

 _Bella_ : Exactly! I actually was inspired to write this chapter so yeah, yay, maybe I'm past the writer's block! I think Amy will do the job very well for making Mark jealous.

 _Guest_ : ?

 _H_ : LOL a lot of people are still team Mina. ;) Isn't it interesting how Nina 'told' the people she loves that she's pregnant? Well, she told Cristina who told Derek, Arizona and Nelson.

 _Serena Salvatore_ : Do you like the Vampire Diaries? But thank you for the input!

 _XOXO Janie's Thoughts Revive_ : Okay thanks!

 _Guest_ : I think I'm going to update once a week from now on. This is my last "early" update, okay? :) You're welcome

 **Girl - 8**

 **Boy - 1**

 **No names so far so oh well. I'm thinking for a girl, maybe, Lacey, Kyra, Octavia, Rosalynn, Samira, Whitney/Winnie, Dahlia, Christine/Chris/Christie, Charlie, Baylee, or Ashlie. What do you think? Because so far, mostly everyone wants a girl!**

 **Let me know down below your thoughts, feelings and any name suggestions. I will keep taking votes for the gender until the shooting. So let me know ASAP!**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy~**


	30. Chapter 30

**Hidden Truths**

 **AN: There is a long note at the bottom, please read it all.**

 **Chapter 30: The Time Warp**

Derek refused to let Nina leave the hospital after the Valentine's Day Massacre issue. Instead, Nina had been stuck in bed and having Danni, her OB/GYN, constantly checking on her and her baby. Amy had come from Boston to look after Ethan while Nina was in the hospital. As much as she had missed her best friend, Amy could be a lot to handle.

Amy didn't care for boundaries; she especially enjoyed crossing lines people put in the sand which was why she was an amazing Neuro surgeon. She liked to push and break boundaries; this was also the reason why she was pushing so hard in her field of research: comatose patients.

When Amy was ten, her father had fallen from a roof while doing Christmas lights and had fallen into a coma, and ever since Amy vowed to wake comatose patients to return them to their families. Maybe it was the drive in her eyes that drew Nina to her and thus led them to being such great friends back in their intern years. Nina could still remember fondly the patients they playfully fought over; calling each other names, pushing the other past their boundaries, but what really made them the best of friends was how they both supported each other.

Nina was sure she wouldn't have made it alone after her divorce with Mark and being a single mother who also was a surgeon without Amy. Amy and Nina were the perfect team and it showed in their work, because it was hard for the Attendings to choose between them. Amy made up for what Nina lacked and Nina made up for what Amy lacked; they balanced each other.

Amy was the one thing Nina really missed back in Boston so seeing her again made her happy. What didn't make her happy was being stuck in a bed while Amy, Derek, Cristina, Arizona, Danni, Callie, Bailey and Ethan fused over her. It was annoying.

"You should be resting."

Nina was looking over some charts, sitting up in bed while Cristina and Teddy were looking after her service, but Cristina had come by to ask her a few questions about a patient. She looked up at her blonde best friend and shrugged. "And you should be getting ready for your big speech," Nina responded, giving her friend a look before turning back to the charts. "Am I allowed to go, _Doctor Reins_?"

Amy rolled her eyes at Nina's sass, "Only if you sit beside Derek."

"Deal," Nina said as she watched her friend. "Can I at least have some scrubs or something? I need to feel more human."

"What did Doctor Grimes say? Is the baby okay?"

"Yes the baby is fine and it is healthy. Now can I have some scrubs? If you won't get me some, I will do it myself." Nina threatened.

Amy was about to say something but Derek entered the room. "Are you coming to the lecture Nina?" He asked.

"I'm trying to convince Amy to let me go." Nina sighed heavily, wishing that her friend would stop being a mother hen. Derek handed Nina some scrubs to change into and she smiled brightly, knowing that Derek knew her very well. "Thanks Derek! I can finally feel human again."

Derek chuckled, though he didn't look very happy at the glare Amy sent him. Amy was protective of Nina that much was clear; _very_ clear. She crossed her arms as she turned her eyes onto Derek, shooting him a deathly glare. "She should be resting."

"Everyone else who survived are allowed to be home. So why can't I just go to a lecture? I'll be sitting down the whole time." Nina pointed out. "If it makes you feel better, I'll sit beside Derek and Danni."

"Ugh! Fine!" Amy frowned, her arms crossed and her eyes still narrowed slightly. "But if you feel _any_ different, you will go rest straight away!"

"Deal!" she smiled brightly, excited to get out of her hospital room.

~x~

Nina was put in the front row, beside an empty seat that Derek would take after explaining what was going on. Danni was sitting on her right and chatting happily about the strangest thing Nevaeh had done earlier this week. Apparently, Nevaeh had a _huge_ crush on Ethan and had asked him to play with her only to cause some bullies to tease Ethan about her. Nina had heard it from Ethan last night anyway but she found it amusing to hear Danni explain how upset Nevaeh was over it all.

Nina's eyes snapped over when she heard Teddy greet Kian in the row behind her. She turned her head and saw the dark, devilish man and swallowed. She had nearly lost her baby while waiting for him for a date. She ran a hand over her stomach protectively, wondering if she should forgive Kian. It wasn't his fault. He had explained that he had been pulled into a surgery because Callie had been busy at the time.

"Wow that guy is _hot_!"

Nina turned her widened green eyes onto Danni, who was watching Kian with interest. Kian didn't hear Danni however, as he was speaking with Teddy and Owen. "Really Danni?" Nina asked, "Aren't you married?"

Danni grinned at her, "Divorced, actually. I caught my ex-husband having sex in our bed with a _man_." Danni chuckled to herself. "I always figured there was something wrong with him because he basically only liked to do doggy-style. He never liked touching my breasts and it was up to me to have an orgasm."

"Must you be so crude?" Nina asked, stunned by the woman's forwardness.

"I never pegged you to be the sort who didn't care for a good laugh, Nina. I forgave him and I understand that we can't help who we fall in love with. And if I hadn't been with him, I wouldn't have Nevaeh." Danni explained why she used her sense of humor. "Now…I think the show is about to start!"

Nina rolled her eyes fondly at the woman's excitement. It sure was refreshing compared to some people's attitudes around here. She turned her head as Derek began to speak.

~x~

For the most part, Nina did listen but the baby zapped her energy and she dozed off a little. She was half listening to Bailey, Callie and Richard. When it was Amy's turn to get onto the stage, Nina tried to keep her eyes open firmly. She did not want to miss her friend's speech.

Amy was wearing a flattering blue dress that matched her eyes, her blonde hair was pulled back in a tight bun and she wore nude heels. Amy's body was beautiful in the dress but the look in her eyes made it so people knew not to just judge her on her body. Amy was very smart and had worked hard to get where she was today.

"I was in my last year of my residency…" Amy began.

 _~x~_

 _Amy was in light blue scrubs, sitting beside Nina in the cafeteria. They were deciding where to go to complete their fellowship. Nina wanted to leave Seattle after the whole Mark thing, even though Mark had moved back to New York after the divorce had been finalized._

" _I need sleep…" Nina pouted, laying her head on the table with a grumble. Ethan had been keeping her up a lot lately and she was unable to sleep properly._

 _Amy's pager went off. "Go to an on-call room if you can. Sleep some… I've gotta go." Amy rushed off to the ER where she was being paged. Seattle Grace was nice, that was for sure, but Amy knew it held haunted memories for Nina._

 _She reached the ER where a nurse pointed her in the right direction for her patient. Amy was in love with Neuro, she felt at home when she was working on a brain and had never felt so in tune with her body before until she worked on her first brain. She reached her patient, a bloody teenage boy who was unconscious. "What is everyone doing just standing around?! Get a move on! Get this boy some help!" Amy snapped. She ordered a CT, MRI, and everything under the sun. "Someone page Peds!"_

" _Right away doctor." A nurse answered._

 _Amy turned to her patient. "You'll be alright."_

 _~x~_

 _Amy had brought her patient into surgery. It had gone well; she had stopped the brain bleeds and she had gotten him safely to his room, repaired. It was now late evening - well actually, when Amy looked at the time, it was closer to early morning. The time was about 3am and Amy knew that Nina and Ethan would be resting._

 _She sighed, sitting beside her John Doe. No one had come to claim him yet but Amy had her best nurses on the job to find his family. From her few guesses, she assumed the boy was in his late teens or very early 20's. She was reading over his chart, updating what she thought she should and making sure it was all correct._

 _Usually Amy would have had an intern do it, but something was holding her back from doing so. This kid needed someone in his corner. She sighed, turning to look at him. It had only been an hour since he had been in surgery, way too early to wake up, but Amy couldn't stop the way her stomach twisted with dread; something was wrong and this kid was going to have a troubled life if he survived._

 _~x~_

" _Brain dead?"_

 _Finally the hospital was able to find the kid's parents. Amy was standing before them, chewing her lip as she explained what had happened. The kid -_ Malik _\- had been drinking on his graduation night and had ended up in a car crash. His parents weren't sure what to do but Amy reassured them that she would do everything in her power to help Malik, but things weren't looking too bright._

 _Malik was 18, barely out of high school, he deserved to live. For the past few months, Amy had been working on a case study to wake comatose patients but hadn't been able to actually test it out. People always wanted to try whatever they could to save their loved ones, but what Amy would need to do could end up killing the patient rather than wake them up. But Malik's parents begged her to do it. So Amy agreed._

 _Malik would be her first trail patient…_

 _~x~_

" _Thank you for scrubbing in, Nina." Said Amy, shifting as she waited for Nina to be ready. Nina had agreed that Amy should have a cardio doctor on standby so there the two best friends were, planning to save a life._

" _No problem Ame's," Nina responded with a grin. She was standing beside the chest of Malik, watching as Amy got ready to send shocks through Malik's spinal cord, which she had gotten access to by opening his base of his neck. "So Ethan suggested we go out for pizza when we wake Malik up. What do you think?"_

 _Amy smiled at the thought of her godson, "Sounds good to me, especially the pizza part."_

" _Right?" Nina chuckled. She fell silent as Amy began to work. Amy did every step to perfection and Nina wondered why nobody had let Amy try before._

 _As Amy flicked the machine on, Malik's heart began to go wonky and Nina jumped into help. Amy cursed as she stopped, not wanting to shock Nina by mistake. Once Nina had gotten Malik stable, Amy tried again. Amy sent the right amount and then the surgery was over. They would have to wait to see if Malik would awaken._

 _Four hours later, Malik opened his eyes and asked for his mom. Amy couldn't help but be so thankful. Nina and Amy high fived each other and smiled. "Great work partner." Nina smiled._

" _Thanks Nina."_

~x~

After the lectures were over, Nina decided to go for a small walk. Danni had said that it would be fine so Nina decided she needed a break. Amy was chatting with Derek and any doctors with questions. Nina hummed as she walked, thinking about her children. Ethan and her unborn child…how had she gotten so lucky?

She thought of Mark in that moment, knowing he wouldn't want to miss out on this child but she was also so very hurt by his decision. From what she had heard from Arizona, who was supporting a hurting Callie who was supporting a hurting Mark, Sloan had run off with her baby, ready to give it up for adoption.

Nina knew she should be the one comforting Mark, especially because that baby was sort of her grandchild too. She sighed as she walked down the hall, not knowing that someone was watching her until she reached the vending machine.

"Shouldn't you be in the lecture?"

She turned, her throat going dry and her eyes widening. She didn't expect to see Mark. Her hand was on her stomach, almost petting it to calm the child within her. She swallowed thickly. "Mark? What are you doing? I needed a snack."

"I wanted to talk," Mark began watching Nina closely. His eyes flickered to her stomach. "Are you feeling okay?"

 _He means about the accident._ Nina thought. She nodded her head slowly, "Yeah, Amy wouldn't let me attend the lecture otherwise. How are you doing?"

Mark sighed heavily; Nina knew that he was upset about Sloan. "I miss you." She was not expecting that. "I miss Sloan and I miss Ethan. I know it makes you uncomfortable but I miss you both so damn much! Just thinking of you in that restaurant, waiting for that piece of crap-"

Nina could feel her eyes flooding with tears, feeling her pregnancy hormones taking over. Mark realized she was tearing up and he frowned. Nina noted that his hands twitched to move forward and pull her into his arms. "I-I miss you too! B-but I refuse to g-go back to be-being second best."

"You were never second best, babe, I love you. I love you so much it hurts. We got into that cab that day for a reason and it's because we're meant to be together."

Nina shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. Amy would not be happy. "It shouldn't be like this, it shouldn't be so _toxic_." She stumbled over some of her words and she sounded very upset. "And I refuse to raise Ethan an…I refuse to raise Ethan in this toxic relationship. Yes, when we're together and _happy_ , it's good, it's so good that it makes my heart break into tiny little pieces thinking I'll never hold you in my arms again, but I can't be unhappy. I can't stand seeing Ethan unhappy."

 _Or the thought of the little one being unhappy…_

Mark was stunned and silent.

"I know you slept with Addison when you were in LA."

"You went out with Kian."

They're staring at each other with heated expression; both are upset about what the other had done. "I went out with Kian because I needed someone to choose me."

"Bullshit and we both know it," Mark rarely swore but when he did, everyone knew he meant business. "I've always chosen you."

Nina couldn't handle all of this. "I love you too Mark, but I can't be in a toxic relationship when I have people depending on me."

She turned to walk away, unable to look back at her ex-fiancée/husband.

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **Perfect Little Accident**_ : Mark begins to wallow in his grief over Nina ending any chances of them getting back together in any woman who willingly opens her legs. Nina and Ethan go visit Danni to see the baby. Harper Avery arrives at the hospital. Amy shows interest in someone.

 **Reviews:**

Guest: I'm sorry for the wait, a lot has happened to me lately. I will explain down below.

Guest: Here's your update.

Taffyrose: A boy? Maybe :) Anyway, I've been playing with the idea of Callie/Sofia/Mark/Arizona, but I haven't decided. More information later!

Lil-B-Rebel: Ashlie Knight sounds like a beautiful name TBH

PorcelianPuppetLady: I love the name Octavia too! Ugh! I can't decide what to name the baby XD

Mrs. Donald Flack Jr: Welcome back yourself! I wanna kick Mark's ass too, especially when one of the opening scenes for the next episode is Mark sleeping with some woman. Ugh. This is really going to hurt Nina. Sorry for the wait, things have been stressful.

Sloansballas: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :) And sorry for the wait!

NicoleR85: I hope it was worth the wait

Leah Tatyana Nicole: Kian had to go into surgery. He didn't mean to stand her up; he had a job to do.

 **Hey guys, welcome back. I'd just like to point, I'm sorry that it has been like a month since my last update. There are reasons.**

 **#1 I have had writer's block especially with this chapter. It just** _ **wouldn't come together**_ **.**

 **#2 Last Saturday, my sister tried to kill herself**

 **#3 Tuesday night my sister tried to kill herself again**

 **#4 Homework**

 **#5 my step dad and mom are taking a break, but it looks like they are going to be getting a divorce. Furthermore, my step dad has sort of been abusing my family and me. Not like, punching us or anything, but TBH, he has been sort of starving us. It has gotten so bad that my mom can't handle it anymore and she doesn't want to be with him anymore. She even pointed out that the reason I don't want to go to school anymore or DO anything is because I am depressed. I have no will to do anything anymore, guys, and I'm sorry. My brain is so fucked up right now! Just…please don't give up on me.**

 **#6 I start a new job this Saturday coming**

 **#7 I run/am apart of two youth groups at my church. I also help out with masses at church!**

 **#8 I am in grade 12 and there is this thing called scholarships and everything for my future that I have to worry about, including money - ugh.**

 **So there are my excuses. Take them how you will, just know that I will try to put out more chapters. Yes, this note is fairly long but PLEASE read it all. Anyway, I'm going to go.**

 **Please review.**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hidden Truths**

 **Chapter 31: Push**

 **A/N: I decided to skip the Harper Avery chapter because it just wasn't coming together. Please read the AN at the bottom for more information about my absence.**

 **~x~**

Mark was so conflicted about what he wanted; on one hand, he had this perfect future with Nina and Ethan, but then on the other, he could have this little baby, his grandson with Sloan. He knew he had broken something inside of Nina when he chose his daughter, but didn't Sloan have the right to be chosen too? So of course, he was conflicted.

Just thinking about Nina made his heart hurt. He could remember her reaction when she heard about his sleeping with any and all women who were willing. He knew that upon hearing the confirmation, she had been hurt but he was Mark Sloan, he needed sex!

Right after Mark finished his mini workout and was trying to make something to eat, his door was pushed open and in walked Callie. Callie looked cheerful and Mark couldn't help but sulk. He wished he was that cheerful. He hadn't been that cheerful since Nina left with Ethan. Everything in their apartment was the same, basically. He hadn't been able to sleep in his bed for weeks, not since she left. Hell, he didn't go into his bedroom if he could help it. Ethan's room was bare since Nina had Callie bring her Ethan's things and her own.

Callie smiled brightly at her best friend, "Today feels like the day! I think that by closing today, I'll have cartilage in a bottle."

Mark grunted as he flopped down onto the couch, in a sulking mood. He missed his ex-wife turned girlfriend then fiancée before becoming his ex-fiancée. He missed Nina terribly. He missed hearing Arizona and Callie joke about their ship name 'Mina'.

He missed Mina.

Callie noticed his dark mood. "What's with you?" She demanded.

"You…and Derek…all like 'don't screw the nurses and drug reps'. You've done a psych rotation! You know what happens when you tell someone not to think about an elephant?" Mark grumpily said.

Callie sighed at his dramatic rant. "So you spend a lot of time thinking- "

"I walk around the hospital trying not to make eye contact with the women. I'm lonely and unhappy!" Mark complained. "I miss seeing Ethan everyday, I miss making love to Nina and just…being with her. And then I found happiness in screwing with the nurses and drug reps. What's so wrong with that?"

"Find a grown up who wants what you want and go on a date." Callie offered.

"I tried the whole dating thing with Nina and look where that got me." Mark ran a hand through his sweaty hair. "I even tried it with Lexie, and then again with Nina and now I'm all alone."

Callie groaned quietly. "If you want to be happy, you're going to have to chase after it."

~x~

Nina was in a mood.

Not only was Ethan acting up with just about everything, but the baby was causing problems of its own. She hadn't been able to sleep much during the night because Ethan kept waking up with nightmares; the baby also seemed to throw in its two cents and sent Nina to the bathroom more than she could count.

Amy suggested Nina go out for a girl's night, get a massage and get away from everything but all Nina wanted was a night of quiet. She wanted a glass of wine with her friends and talk about life.

But she couldn't drink so that was off the table. And then when Nina left Ethan home, he was constantly acting up. He demanded that his parents stop being dummies and get back together; Nina wished that she could explain why she couldn't go back to Mark. She had thought about it, but she knew that she couldn't. Mark had made his decision and she had to protect her children from getting hurt.

"You shouldn't think so hard, you're going to hurt yourself."

Nina lifted her eyes from the chart she was looking at but not really reading. There standing before her was Derek and Amy; after her accident, the two had become very close friends. She wished that she could stop them from sharing secrets about her. Derek grinned as he stood before the desk, leaning against it. Amy was being nosy and tried looking at Nina's chart.

"Anything good?" She asked.

"I…" Nina swallowed and looked down at the chart again. She couldn't say that she was distracted but she needed to vent and they were two of her closest friends whom weren't very close to Mark…well, besides Derek, but Derek seemed to have her back. Especially after she helped him get back onto his feet and finally snagged Meredith off the dating market. "I don't know what to do." She finally caved. "Ethan wants to live with his dad. He keeps asking about him and I don't know what to do!"

Amy patted her friend on the hand. "Why can't Ethan stay with Mark sometimes? I know he's a twit and an idiot, but…I remember the stories you told me a few months ago. About how great of a dad Mark is. Do you really think he'll hurt him?"

"Who's side are you on?" Nina sighed dramatically. She turned to Derek. "You're Mark's best friend and since Amy isn't being a big help, I need your input. Should I let Ethan stay with him? What if he lets it slip that I'm pregnant?"

"You still haven't told Mark?" Derek asked, tilting his head sideways.

"I keep meaning to, and then I think about everything. What if he convinces me to be with him but only so he can have a baby? I don't want that for either of my children." Nina explained with a sigh.

Amy raised an eyebrow at her friend. "I am all for Team Hate Mark, actually _I'm_ team captain, but I remember how miserable you were without him during your last pregnancy and now you have two kids. Yes, you have me and I'm sure Derek and Meredith will help, you have a whole village to raise these kids, but I also remember every night you'd hold that phone and have his number punched in, ready to call but you'd talk yourself out of it."

Instantly, a memory took over and Nina was sucked back into her dark past.

~x~

 _It was late one Saturday night, Nina was standing in front of the kitchen phone, gripping it tightly whilst staring at the number on the screen. Mark. She missed her ex-husband desperately and couldn't get him out of her head. She was five months pregnant with her first child, a little boy. She was excited to become a mother but life had gotten hard._

 _Her future in Cardio was finally taking off and Nina was learning so much, but she was always worried that she would be too busy with her job to focus on her child. She hadn't spoken to her family in months, given up after calling them about her divorce and being left pregnant by a cheating man. She hadn't had the guts to admit that it had been Carly whom had hurt her, but after hearing about her parents gushing about Carly's first pregnancy with Luke and how happy the couple was, she had stopped calling._

 _She wanted to go back to Mark, to tell him to hold her like he used to. She missed him so much that it hurt knowing that she was keeping such a huge secret from him._

 _As she gripped the phone, tears filled her eyes as she thought about calling him. Would he answer? What if he did? What would she say? The thoughts swirled inside of her head as her heart snapped in two. All she could imagine was Mark telling her that she was a liar and that he wanted nothing to do with her and her baby. Closing her eyes, Nina clicked cancel call and was left feeling guilty._

~x~

"I'll think about it, okay?" Nina collected the chart and went to see her patient. Derek and Amy share a look, unsure if she would actually come clean before she was so big it was obvious that she was expecting.

~x~

Jackson and Alex stood inside the patient's room, watching as Nina looked over the young man whose heart had falling from his chest to rest inside her stomach. She was trying to talk him into getting silicone breasts implants to keep the heart in place.

"I'm a guy's guy! How am I supposed to-?"

"Pick up chicks?" After watching his girlfriend storm out of the room, the man huffed.

Nina sighed heavily.

"Do I have any other choice?"

"Do you like to breath?" Nina said grumpily.

~x~

Even though Nina was a grown up, she was terrified to ask Mark about silicone breast implants. She hadn't spoken to him since the meeting in Derek's office about her coming back to work and hearing about his screwing every living breathing woman available to him.

So instead, she sent Teddy to do it. Even though she rarely trusted the woman, Nina didn't have the guts to ask Mark herself and instead went to grab something to eat. Teddy met her in the cafeteria to talk further about Nina's patient; if Mark agreed to do it, then Nina was going to give Teddy the patient since Nina couldn't go into the OR with Mark.

She couldn't bare the thought of being in surgery with him for hours. He could ask her anything. And, the baby could be a real asshole and cause her more issues. She looked up when Teddy sat down across from her, Nina munching on some carrots and mustard. "Doctor Altman," She said after she chewed and then swallowed. "What did Doctor Sloan say?"

Teddy looked uncomfortable. "He…he asked me out."

"WHAT?!"

Nina looked stunned. Teddy went over the tale, explaining how Mark had asked her out after commenting about her breasts before making an awkward attempt at asking her out. She was heart broken because she knew Mark didn't do dating. Was he moving on from her? Was this his way of showing that he was finally over her?

She swallowed thickly, suddenly feeling tears well in her eyes. She excused herself, telling Teddy to keep on the task before she rushed out of the cafeteria. She found herself in Callie's lab and the other woman looked startled. Nina was hurting but also mad. "How could you?" She demanded, her voice cracking.

Callie blinked in confusion. "What did I do?"

Bailey arrived just as Nina spoke, "Mark never would have thought of dating other women – _especially_ Teddy Altman – so it had to be you! How could you tell him to see other women?!" Nina was distraught. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she glared weakly at Callie. Callie opened her mouth to speak but Nina continued, pointing her finger at her. "I thought you were my friend!"

"Nina- "

Bailey stood still, before she moved forward to help the trembling pregnant woman. "I may have ended things with Mark, but that doesn't mean I don't love him! It _kills_ me to be away from him but I need to look after Ethan and I need to look after my future child!" She turned to leave.

Bailey grasped her arm gently. "Nina, why don't you go lay down?" She was surprised by the information, but it made sense.

Nina shook Bailey's hand off her arm. "I know you're taking her side. If you'll excuse me." She said before exiting the room.

Callie covered her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. Bailey looked at Callie with question. "I told Mark to ask Teddy out because he needs a grown-up relationship. He's sad and misses Nina. I thought – "

"I understand why you did it, Torres. You're Sloan's friend first. But that woman is your friend too. She is hurting and trying to make sense of this new world she's been pushed into. She's a single mother and has to walk around this hospital, feeling those nurses giving her judgemental looks because they either know someone who has slept with Sloan or they slept with Sloan." Bailey said in a firm voice. "How would you feel in her shoes? And then to add to it, she's pregnant."

Callie looked down at her shoes in shame. "I just didn't want to see Mark sulking anymore."

"Well now you have to make it up to Knight. And I have a feeling your girlfriend will be taking her side."

~x~

Mark was determined to make it up to Teddy for embarrassing her. He wanted to act professional and to show prove to her that he was boyfriend worthy. Even though he was sure that he wasn't ready to become her official boyfriend, the thought of it made him feel…giddy. Callie had been right. He needed to jump back into the dating pool. And Teddy could be just the girl he was looking for.

He spotted Meredith walking across the room after speaking with Owen and there behind her, was Teddy. He took in a deep breath, reminding himself that he was good enough and that Teddy would fall for his charm; just like everyone did.

"Doctor Altman," Mark said catching the woman's attention. "I, uh, set aside some saline implants for your post-pneumonectomy patient. I have a couple on hand. Size-wise, you won't really know what you need until you get in there."

Teddy gave him an uncomfortable smile. "He's Doctor Knight's patient. But uh, could you scrub in? To place them?"

Mark looked surprised; if the patient was Nina's, then why was Teddy talking to him? "Sure…will…uh, Doctor Knight be there?"

Teddy shook her head, "Doctor Knight says she has a doctor's appointment." She swallowed thickly. "So uh…I-I may actually be free…after work, tonight."

"Really?" Mark said, feeling hopeful after being hurt that Nina was avoiding him.

Teddy smiled. "Yeah." She didn't notice Owen staring at the pair.

Mark was smiling too. "Fantastic! There's a new Italian restaurant I've been…I've been meaning to try. Maybe you and I-"

"Oh well, Joe's is perfectly fine."

"For dinner?" Mark was now confused. Teddy was actually okay for going to Joe's for _dinner_?

" _No_." Teddy turned bright red. "I mean…" She laughed weirdly. "Well, I, you know…I… For a drink and then…and then..."

"I was asking you to dinner." Mark interrupted. "So that we could talk and get to know each other."

Teddy rubbed the back of her neck, blinking before opening and then reclosing her mouth. As she fumbled for a reply, Nina saw the two. She felt her pregnancy hormones take over. She stormed over to them and huffed. "Doctor Altman, don't you have to prep our patient?" She nearly hissed.

Teddy turned her eyes to Nina and blinked in surprised. "Doctor Knight… I…"

"Here's a tip for you, _Doctor Altman_ , before you start screwing with another woman's ex-fiancée/husband: you shouldn't do it if you know about children – you…you…you…you _fucking dirty homewrecker_!" Nina slapped Teddy across the face. She huffed before turning to walk away except Mark was standing in front of her.

"What the hell do you mean _children_?!" Mark demanded to know.

~x~

After somehow managing to escape Mark, Nina went straight to the cafeteria to look for Arizona. Amy had messaged her to let her know that she was taking Ethan out to get pizza for lunch since Amy didn't technically work at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital.

She found Arizona speaking with Callie over lunch. "Arizona, could I talk to you?" She asked quietly, ignoring Callie.

Arizona lifted her eyes from Callie, blinking. She noticed how upset Nina looked. "What's wrong? Nina?" She stood and the pregnant woman dragged her away.

"I slapped Teddy, called her a homewrecker and may have let it slip to Mark that I'm pregnant. What do I do?" Nina asked with tears forming in the corner of her green eyes. "I had to pretend to get a page to get away from him! Oh, god…what am I supposed to do?"

Arizona opened and closed her mouth in shock. "Wait…what? You slapped Teddy? _Why_?"

Nina sniffled. "Mark asked her out to dinner and she said yes and I-I panicked! I still love him and yes, him sleeping around bothers me but that's just _sex_! He's looking for a _relationship with Teddy_!"

She wrapped her arms around Nina. "Hey, it's going to be okay."

"HOW IS IT GOING TO BE _OKAY_?! Mark knows I'm pregnant and I slapped – _OH GOD_ , I'm going to lose my JOB!" Nina began to full on sob at this point.

Arizona patted her back and tried to sooth her. It wasn't working. "Hey now, trust me. The Chief knows he has it good with you as his Head of Cardio and he's sort of your best friend or one of them." She pointed out. "There's no way Derek would fire you. Especially because he punched Mark the first day Mark came to Seattle."

Nina wiped her eyes. "What am I going to do about the baby? He's going to talk to be apart of it's life."

"What's so bad about that?" Arizona asked.

"He'll be sweet and caring, and I'll end up saying yes if he asks me to be a family again. And I don't think I can be with him again. When we're together, it's like…everything is perfect. There's nothing wrong with anything. But…as soon as we have a fight, it isn't healthy. The back and forth…the constant reminders of past mistakes…how many times do I go back to him before it's so toxic that it's bad for my children?" Nina asked.

Arizona couldn't answer that. So, she simply held Nina as she tried to work through her emotions. "It's going to be okay…I swear, its going to get better and it's going to be okay."

"Thank you Arizona," Nina said quietly. She pulled away from the hug and chewed her lip. "I'm sorry I pulled you away from Callie. I just…Callie told Mark to move on and date and I…the thought of him moving on breaks my heart." She wiped her eyes.

"It's okay Nina," Arizona reassured her before patting her arm. "You know what will cheer you up?"

"What?"

"Let's fine Danni. Maybe she'll be able to give you the baby's gender."

~x~

Arizona and Nina sat in the small office, waiting for Danni. Danni was all for cheering up the upset pregnant woman. Arizona sat on a chair while Nina laid on the bed. Danni arrived and got straight to work.

"So what names have you been thinking of, Nina?" Danni asked as she searched for the sex.

Nina chewed her lip and looked at the screen. Arizona was quiet but smiling. "For a girl, I've been thinking Octavia after my grandmother. Or Benjamin after my grandfather." Nina said shrugging her shoulders.

Danni smiled at Nina with a warm smile. "Congratulations mommy. It looks like you're having an Octavia."

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **Chapter 32:**_ **Suicide is Painless** : Now that Nina knows she is having a girl, all that is left is to tell Mark. Meredith decides to confront Nina about still living in her house, and being so close to her husband.

 **Hey everyone. Are you surprised to hear from me? I'm surprised to hear from me. Things have been crazy around here and I'm struggling. I have exams this week and I am working constantly – if not at school then at work. And then, in November, I split water all over my laptop. So, I had to wait for my new one. :(**

 **But here it is, chapter 31! We're getting up there, aren't we? So, I figured it's about time that we get a move on.**

 **I'd love to hear your thoughts and feelings about this. Is it worth continuing? Would you all continue to read it? I plan to focus on** _ **Hidden Truths**_ **but fair warning, I see where I will be ending it. Yes. ENDING IT. Surprise? I hope you're not upset.**

 **Anyway, thank you everyone who stuck around and waited for me. I'm going to keep trying but please be patient with me. I should have** _ **Distraction**_ **updated soon, but that just isn't coming together lol. And I know I asked this a long time ago but, who would be interested in reading** _ **Off Limits**_ **?**

 **PLEASE REVIEW**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy ~**


	32. Chapter 32

**Hidden Truths**

 **Chapter 32: Suicide is Painless**

Callie was still trying to solve the mystery; she planned to get her cartilage in a bottle. Arizona had come to visit Callie with a bright smile on her face. Mark was ranting about Nina being pregnant and not telling him.

"I can't believe she didn't tell me. I know that she didn't tell me about Ethan but she had her reasons. Not that they were good reasons! But still, it wasn't like she couldn't. We are both in Seattle!" Mark raved. "I've proven that I put my kids first. Why couldn't she tell me? Are you listening to me?"

Callie was so focused that Arizona answered. "She's making cartilage from scratch. She's preoccupied and it's hot." Callie lifted her head and blushed as Arizona leaned forward and kissed her lips. "I'm going to be late. Bye!"

After Arizona left, Callie blurted out, "She doesn't want kids."

Mark was confused. He understood Callie's pain; he had been there with Lexie and then he had found Nina. Nina… she had given him a child, a son! And now he was having another one…and she hadn't bothered to tell him. "Have you told her that you want kids?"

"I don't want to seem like that despite woman with an aching womb." Callie tried to explain. She chewed her lip, looking away for a moment before looking at her best friend. "Mark, what am I supposed to do? I want kids. Look how happy you are with Ethan. I want that!"

Mark sighed gently. "You've gotta tell her, Torres."

Callie pouted. "I hate when you're right."

~x~

Nina was nervously sitting in Derek's office, playing with the edge of her knitted pink sweater dress that she had paired with white tights. She looked comfortable in the clothes but in the office, she looked ready to run away. She was utterly nervous about facing Derek; she had been called into his office because she had slapped Teddy. She looked at the clock again, checking the time.

 _I don't want to lose my job; I really like it here._ Nina swallowed thickly. When the door opened, she jumped and turned around. Derek came in and gave her a stern expression. "I'm- "

"I want to hear your side of the story first, Nina. I've heard Teddy's side and as Chief, I need to be fair but I can't reward violent behavior." Derek explained.

Nina looked down in shame, her eyes going to her small but growing baby bump. "I slapped her because I overheard her position Mark for sex. I got jealous and saw red – I know it doesn't excuse my behavior, but I just got so mad. She was looking to use Mark!" She ran a hand over her belly. "I still love Mark and the thought…he doesn't date and we both know this. So, the thought of him dating Teddy scares me. What if he falls in love with her? What about me?" Nina tried to explain her side of the story. "Yes, I am not with him and I don't know if I can be with him but the thought of not having that chance, that choice, makes me wanna cry."

Derek rubbed his forehead before running his hand through his hair. "I should suspend you but I don't think that's what you need and isn't fair to your patients." He looked deep in thought. "For punishment, you are to work in the clinic extra shifts. Are we clear?"

Nina nodded. "Yes…"

"Now that that is cleared up," Derek clasped his hands together on his desk. "I heard from a little birder that you know the baby's gender."

Nina smiled when Derek changed the topic. She missed speaking with him. "Oh, yeah, I'm having a baby girl." She pulled out the sonogram and handed it to him. "I can't decide what to name her. I really like Octavia but I also like Dahlia, Baylee, Kyra, and Rosalynn. What do you think?"

Derek thought about it before grinning. "I've never heard of someone named Dahlia or Octavia before. But I don't know, Dahlia sounds lovely." Derek commented.

"You really think so? If I use Dahlia, it'd be after my grandmother." Nina smiled.

"Dahlia," Derek repeated the name before reaching out to touch Nina's hand, returning the sonogram. "But I think you should talk to Mark about this. We both know he'll want to be apart of this child's life, just like he wants to be apart of Ethan's."

Nina sighed. "I'll speak to him. But what if he hates me?"

"He won't hate you," Derek reassured her. "He's in love with you."

She stood up. "Derek, thank you." She smiled gently. "I was wondering if…if you would be her Godfather?"

Derek looked a little surprised before he smiled. "I'd love nothing more."

Nina smiled and departed.

~x~

Nina was heading to go check on a patient, holding his chart and in her navy scrubs. She knew that Teddy had the patient who wanted to die; Nina couldn't handle death at the moment, so she had let Teddy take her. As she was walking down the hall, she felt the baby kick. She looked up and found Mark and Teddy talking.

It made her heart hurt but she remembered that she couldn't let her emotions and hormones get in the way. After Teddy talked to Mark, she excused herself at the sight of Nina and rushed off. Mark turned and locked eyes with Nina.

 _Time to be the grown up_ , Nina thought. She stepped forward and swallowed. "Mark, could we talk? Sometime? Please?"

Mark looked ready to say no but after glazing down at her baby bump, he looked up and nodded.

"Thank you," She let out a breath of relief. "I was hoping that we could talk tonight?"

"Do you mean at Meredith's and Derek's?" Mark asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Nina answered. "I was hoping we could go out to dinner. Maybe that Thai place you like so much? Just the two of us."

"What about Ethan?"

"Ethan wants to spend time with Amy. She leaves for Boston tomorrow."

Mark turned back to the machine he had been working on before Teddy showed up. "I'll see you there; how about six?"

"Sounds good to me, I'll meet you at your apartment." Nina sensed that she wasn't wanted anymore and she excused herself, heading off to check on her patient.

~x~

Meredith was in a bad mood. Not only was she getting cock-blocked at home because of Nina's son and Nina staying at her house, but she was also losing her chance to debulk a tumor on her own. She was even more pissed that it was her own husband who had stolen her patient; Meredith did not like losing patients and her chances for learning.

So, when she spotted Derek at the board, she stalked right up to him. "You stole my surgery right out from under me!" Meredith scowled.

"It wasn't _your_ surgery; it was _Doctor Nelson's_ surgery." Derek said as he turned from the OR board.

"It's beyond Nelson's skill level." April spoke up. "Right? I mean, that is what you said- "

That just made Meredith madder. " _My_ diagnosis, _my_ tumor, _MY_ debulking!" Meredith snapped at him. "Can I scrub in at least?"

"You're on Nelson's service. If I switch you, it's going to look like favoritism." Derek said.

April spoke up, "Doctor Nelson's been given an aneurysm – "

" _YOU_ stop talking!" Meredith pointed her finger at April who jumped.

"Meredith, calm down," Derek whispered. "People are starting to stare."

"You stole my surgery!" Meredith didn't care that she was causing a scene. She wanted to be heard. As she was walking away, she exclaimed to everyone, "HE stole my surgery!"

She stormed off, getting even more upset by the passing moment. She couldn't believe what her husband had done to her.

~x~

Mark, Callie and Arizona made their way to the table where Owen Hunt was sitting. Arizona was smiling as she spoke to her girlfriend and friends. "My lunch is making me sad. And I haven't even started eating it yet."

"Mhm," Callie hummed her reply as she set her tray down. Mark looked up as he too, set his food down.

"Say something." Mark whispered.

"Shut up," Callie hissed under her breath.

Mark continued to press the matter, "Just say it."

"Shut up!"

"Say what?" Arizona asked.

"Nothing…" Callie smiled at her girlfriend.

Richard walked over and smiled at them. "Hello," He greeted. Nobody answered so he smiled awkwardly. "Okay then." And then he walked away.

Mark whispered to Callie that she would regret not telling Arizona when Callie brought up, "Just like you won't tell Nina that you regret choosing Sloan?"

"That's different and you know it." Mark scowled. As the two argued, Teddy rushed up and yelled at Owen, who had gone behind her back to the Chief.

Lunch seemed to always be that interesting.

~x~

After the long and stressful day, Nina was ready to see Mark. She was getting ready to head home, ready to see Ethan before going to see Mark. But as she was heading towards the front doors of the hospital, Meredith Grey caught up to her.

"Doctor Knight!" She called.

Nina turned and smiled at the woman. "I've told you to call me Nina," She smiled. She thought it was only right, especially off duty. They did live together. "What can I do for you?"

Meredith took in a deep breath; if she couldn't control keeping her surgeries, she could control this. "I need you to stop talking to my husband and to move out of my house."

~x~

Nina wanted to curl up on the couch and just watch romance movies, popcorn in her lap with a comfy blanket wrapped around her and Mark cuddling her. She knew it wasn't something that she could have, but she could fantasize about it. She walked up towards Mark's apartment.

She knew that she would need to move out of Meredith Grey's house at some point, but the fact of the matter was that now Nina had nowhere to live. Amy was leaving tomorrow and Nina would now have to find an apartment ASAP. She and Ethan would be staying in a hotel tomorrow.

She arrived to Mark's apartment, ready to sit down and talk about this baby. She knocked on the door once to let Mark know she was there and opened the door. When she stepped through, she was faced with the worst-case scenario.

On the couch, she and Mark bought together, Nina found Mark having sex with Teddy Altman.

~x~

 **UP NEXT:** _ **Sympathy for the Parents**_ : Mark feels guilty about Nina catching him sleeping with Teddy. He wants things to work out with Teddy because he can't have Nina. Nina confides in Arizona since Derek is "off limits" and Amy is back in Boston. Kian makes his move to get back into Nina's life, and Mark is jealous.

 **Hey everyone, I'm planning on updating every Monday now. :) I hope this makes you happy!**

 **REVIEWS:**

 **(Chapter 31)**

NicoleR85 _ **:**_ I'm glad to hear it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :D

Guest: I agree, Nina is acting a little childish but I feel, as a person, I'd act the same way. I'm basing Nina off myself a little bit, and I feel if I was pregnant and dealing with all of this, I'd get jealous and defend my man. Anyway, thanks for the review!

 **(Chapter 30)**

Princesscheertumble: Yay! Glad to hear it!

Guest: Always glad to hear that Nina is adored. :)

Guest: Thank you so much for the prayers. Things have gotten better around here. My sister hasn't tried to kill herself since that week and things are settling back around, which is good. My parents decided not to get a divorce so there's that. :) I hope the wait wasn't too bad!

Snmuenst: I've been playing with the idea of Callie getting pregnant because Sofia is just awesome but I know that if she does, Mark and Nina may never get back together. Ugh! I haven't decided. Anyway, Stubborn Nina is the best to write ;)

Sloansballas: Agreed, life _is_ crazy. And I haven't decided a name, but I'm leaning towards either Octavia or Dahlia.

H: Agreed, Mark and Nina are very hardheaded. I think I'll add more flashbacks soon, especially so people can see more of Nina, if that makes sense. Thank you, by the way for your supportive comments. I'm trying to get help for my mental issues, and I've finally gotten my head back into the game. I plan to finish this story and I plan to make it good. :) Anyway, thanks again!

NicoleR85: I hope it was worth the wait!

Guest: Thank you so much for your concern. :) It means a lot to me.

Leah Tatyana Nicole: Things have been better. I'm in a better place now and so is my family. :) Thank you.

 **Sorry for not replying to comments in chapter 31, I just wanted to get it up for you guys. And I actually am getting back into the swing of things, especially with my new laptop, so updates will hopefully be every week until I can finish this. I plan to finish it. I have an idea where I'd like to finish but I will take suggestions. I love talking to you all and hearing your thoughts.**

 **Anyway, we are getting closer to 200 reviews! *insert gasp* I wanted to do something special for this so I was thinking, whoever is the 200** **th** **reviewer, I will either do a one-shot for you for Grey's Anatomy or I will talk to you and hear your thoughts for a character who will/could appear in Hidden Truths! What do you guys think? Worth it? :) The choice will be that person's decision as I'm up to either. Excited!**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy~**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Hidden Truths**

 **Chapter 33: Sympathy for the Parents**

 _ **LAST TIME:**_

 _Nina wanted to curl up on the couch and just watch romance movies, popcorn in her lap with a comfy blanket wrapped around her and Mark cuddling her. She knew it wasn't something that she could have, but she could fantasize about it. She walked up towards Mark's apartment._

 _She knew that she would need to move out of Meredith Grey's house at some point, but the fact of the matter was that now Nina had nowhere to live. Amy was leaving tomorrow and Nina would now have to find an apartment ASAP. She and Ethan would be staying in a hotel tomorrow._

 _She arrived to Mark's apartment, ready to sit down and talk about this baby. She knocked on the door once to let Mark know she was there and opened the door. When she stepped through, she was faced with the worst-case scenario._

 _On the couch, she and Mark bought together, Nina found Mark having sex with Teddy Altman._

 **NOW:**

Nina couldn't believe her eyes when she set them on the couple; Mark was under Teddy and she was pushed back into her worst nightmare: Mark and Carly. She could feel tears fill her eyes and she reached for her chest, where she knew her heart rested. How could this be?

Mark's eyes snapped to her and they locked on her green, teary eyes.

"Nina!" Mark said in surprise, pushing Teddy off his body.

Nina turned and rushed from the apartment. Teddy, filled with embarrassment, tried to cover her chest whilst Mark grasped for his boxers, pulling them on quickly before running after Nina. Teddy tried to call Mark back to her but he was already out the door.

He grasped Nina's wrist, like they do in animes and the guy is trying to stop the girl from leaving him. Nina turned, her dark hair flying slightly when she whipped her head around to stare at him. It reminded Mark of those romance movies Nina was so fond of. "Nina please – let me explain!"

"There's nothing _to_ explain!" Nina gulped, her green eyes staring intensely at her ex. Her heart was broken and she couldn't remove the memories or thoughts in her head. All she could think about was Mark with Carly and Mark with Teddy. "You made your decision!"

"She had a tough day!" Mark tried to explain anyway; he knew that he had to or he risked losing Nina forever. "Her patient died. She wanted to control something."

Tears by this point were rolling down Nina's cheeks. "If you were planning on being with her, why say yes to me to talk?"

Mark sighed. "Nina, please listen to me. I never meant for you – "

"To catch you in the act?" Nina asked bitterly. "I am sick of having this battle with my brain and my heart! My heart wants you, it screams for you Mark because I love you so fucking much it _hurts me_ but then my brain is constantly reminding me why we broke up. You're never happy for long, you always want _more_ and I know I will never be enough for you."

Mark shook his head. "That is so wrong Nina and we both know it. I love you too and I want _you_ , I want to be a family with you, Ethan and our new baby."

Nina swallowed thickly, looking away and down at her wrist, which was in Mark's tight hold. She wasn't sure what she wanted anymore because she was so crazily in love with Mark that hurt her painfully to see him with anyone else. "How can I trust you, Mark? Every time something hard happens, you run the other direction and into another woman's bed."

"You're going to have to trust me, because I love you baby and it's _always_ been you." Mark stressed.

"What about Addison? Lexie? And now apparently, Teddy Altman?"

Mark winced. "Addie and I thought we loved each other, and yeah we did love each, we always will, but we never were in love with each other. Not like I'm in love with you, Nina. Addie made me feel whole after we broke up. I know, sleeping with her during my trip to LA was wrong but we already know how stupid I am." Mark sighed. "Lexie…I don't know how to explain what we had. When someone says not to do something, instantly I want to do it. She was a breath of fresh air. She made me ready for you."

Nina chewed her lip, feeling tears still rolling down her cheeks. She looked up into his eyes. "I don't know what to do anymore, Mark. I can't keep doing this back and forth. Ethan can't and neither can this baby."

"…Then, marry me Nina. Marry me and let's never look back." Mark pleaded.

~x~

"He asked me to marry him and I don't know what to do!" Nina was with Arizona in the cafeteria, trying to come to terms about what had happened. She had gone home after seeing Mark, crawled into bed with Ethan and didn't sleep. She had called and found a hotel to stay in whilst she looked for a new home. Ethan had been trouble getting out of bed this morning, complaining about missing his dad and Nina was left feeling beyond helpless. She was just so…jumbled.

Arizona, dealing with her own troubles, listened to her friend. Callie wanted a baby and Arizona didn't want one. "He asked you to marry him after you caught him doing Teddy?"

Nina nodded. "And the worst part of it all is that I'm seriously thinking about this. Is that stupid of me?"

"It's a little bit stupid but you've been in love with him for…how many years was it?"

"Almost eleven years." Nina sighed. "But then I remember our last marriage and what is stopping him from cheating on me this time?"

"Mark Sloan is a lot of things, Nina, and I'm not defending him trust me, but he loves you and he loves those kids. Maybe he'll be different?" Arizona shrugged.

Nina sighed again. "I really want to say yes and be with him because this back and forth is _killing_ me but there is always that what if!"

"So what? If Mark died tomorrow or you died tomorrow, would you like your last moments with him to be fighting?"

Arizona had a point and now Nina had some serious stuff to think about.

~x~

Callie and Mark were walking down the halls of the hospital, trying to wake each other up. Callie was complaining about Arizona, about how she wanted a baby but Arizona didn't want one. "Who doesn't want a baby?"

"How should I know? I have had two kids and I never got to look after them as babies." Mark shrugged. "Callie, can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, of course." Callie said realizing that Mark was being serious.

Mark stopped walking and looked Callie in the eyes. "I asked Nina to marry me."

"WHAT?! I thought you were with Teddy!"

"We both know that Nina's it for me."

"What did she say?" Callie asked.

"She walked away and didn't look back. I think she said something about thinking about it. Is that a good thing? Should I be worried?" Mark gulped.

Callie shrugged. "You shouldn't ask me. My ex-husband left me for his best friend even though his ex-best friend was interested in Alex Karev." Callie pointed out.

"Right…" Mark sighed. "I should go talk to Derek, shouldn't I?"

"Just remember he might be on Nina's side." Callie reminded Mark.

Mark jogged off to find Derek.

~x~

Nina had a patient who needed a valve replacement; she was looking through the charts, making notes and making sure that everything would be ready. Cristina had been called away for an emergency so Nina had the newly returned from leave George O'Malley. She didn't mind having the man back, but she knew he would have some troubles getting back into the swing of things.

"Hey there, coffee?"

Nina lifted her eyes from her chart, and found Kian Valentine standing before her. She blushed when she was handed the coffee. "Thanks, you didn't have to."

"I feel terrible, ya know? I wish I could go back and change what happened." Kian said gently.

She was confused about what he meant before she remembered. He had been the reason why she was in that restaurant and why she had been injured. "Don't blame yourself. Okay? No one could have known the roof was going to collapse." Nina pointed out.

She turned back to her chart, but she wasn't really reading it. She kept thinking about what Mark had said. _Do I really want to marry him?_ Nina thought. "I know the last time didn't end so well, but maybe…if you don't mind…do you want to go get drinks?" Kian asked.

She looked up with surprise, but she already knew her answer. "I'm sorry…but I…if you'll excuse me." Nina turned and she rushed to go find Mark.

~x~

Mark was in Derek's office, talking to him while Derek sorted through some files; he was expected to go see Gary Clark about his wife soon so Mark was using his time wisely. Derek was surprised about how forward Mark was with Nina.

"Seeing you with Meredith makes me want that with Nina. We've had it before and I screwed it up, but I love her and she loves me so I asked her to marry me. Is that crazy?" Mark asked.

"Love makes people do crazy things." Derek said wisely. "Just look at Meredith and I. Before we decided to settle down and stop running, we could rarely catch a break."

Mark nodded and was about to reply when Nina barged into the room. Mark and Derek both looked up in surprise.

"Yes. Mark, I say yes. I can't imagine a life without you and I don't want to. If either one of us were to die tomorrow, I'd want to know that we did everything we could to be together today. I don't want to be with anyone else and I don't want you to be either." Nina said with so much emotion. "I love you and I want to spend the rest of my days as your wife."

Mark tried to hold back his tears of joy and Nina didn't even try. He moved forward and took her into his arms and planted a kiss on her lips, pulling her in for the most passionate kiss that Nina had ever experienced. It seemed that finally, fate was on their side.

~x~

Derek let Mark and Nina leave early to go get married; the couple didn't want to wait nor were they thinking it all through. They pulled Ethan away from school and went to the courthouse. Neither really cared; they wanted to be together and to stop dancing around each other.

Nina was in her comfortable white sundress that hugged her body nicely and flowed around her thighs, went down her knees. Ethan was wearing his jeans and button up blue shirt. Mark in a similar outfit and together, the family of three walked in and asked to be married. And because the couple needed someone to be there to witness the ceremony, they had brought Callie and Arizona. Both women were in jeans and nice shirts.

Ethan was excited for his parents. "Mommy, you're so pretty!" He said with excitement. He was excited to finally see his parents not fighting anymore.

The judge smiled as he began the ceremony. Cut to the 'I do's. "Do you Marcus Everett Sloan take Nina Marie Josephine Knight as your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do!" Mark said with excitement.

Callie smiled as she watched her best friends get married.

"Do you Nina Marie Josephine Knight take Marcus Everett Sloan as your lawfully wedded husband?"

Nina nodded with tears in her eyes. "I do!"

The judge nodded. "Am I to assume you've written your own vows?"

Mark nodded. The judge nodded to Mark to go first. "Nina, I don't like the thought of being without you. I've loved you for so long and I just want to love you for the rest of my life, if you'll let me." Mark said with so emotion. Nina sniffled through her tears of joy. "And as long as you'll let me, I'll love you and our family for the rest of my life." Mark slid on Nina's ring onto her finger.

"Now Nina." The judge said.

"How am I supposed to compare to _that_?" Nina hiccupped. Everyone laughed as Ethan looked up at Callie with a grin. "Mark, I love you and my heart has known it since we first stumbled into each other. If this year has taught me anything, it's that I can't stay away from you. And I know I must sound crazy but I don't care! I want to be your wife until the day I die and I want to have a big family with you, with lots of kids and grandkids and lots of dogs. You can't forget the dogs." She laughed through her tears.

"Never baby." Mark reassured her with a wide smile.

"I love you Mark and I vow to always love you." She said as she slid Mark's ring on his finger.

"You may now kiss your bride." The judge said.

Mark scooped Nina into his arms and kissed her passionately. He never wanted to let her go.

After they separated, the judge gave them their wedding certificate to sign. Nina smiled as she signed her name, _Nina Sloan_. Callie and Arizona signed after them and then the couple embraced once more, sharing another kiss.

"Auntie Callie, does this mean I have to stay with you tonight?" Ethan asked with a pout.

"Hey now kiddo, we'll have lots of fun." Callie promised even though she wanted to speak to Arizona.

~x~

Mark and Nina were back at Mark's apartment, cuddled up on their bed. She was naked, laying on her back, fairly sweaty from all the love making they had been doing. They had _"Truly Madly Deeply"_ by Cascada playing in the background as they enjoyed each other.

She smiled as she enjoyed Mark's kisses down her back. He had decided to fetch some chocolate to enjoy some extra fun sex. He ran some chocolate down her spine before licking it up.

"You taste so good." Mark groaned.

She giggled. "Oh Mark…" She moaned as she felt his growing member on her leg.

"Flip over, baby girl, why don't you? I wanna taste some milk chocolate on your breasts." Mark grinned.

"Okay!" Nina turned and smiled when she saw Mark glazing at her body. He touched her stomach and the baby bump there, before he collected more chocolate and running it over her growing breasts. She moaned as he took one of her hardening nipples in his mouth.

Then, loud knocking could be heard. "If we ignore 'em, they'll go away." Mark didn't want to be away from Nina's body.

The knocking continued.

Nina frowned. "Go check and hurry. The faster you check, the faster you can return and make love to me." She smiled brightly.

"You little minx…" He chuckled as he got up. He put on some boxers just in case and went to answer the door. He pulled open the door to find… "Sloan?"

"The baby's coming!" Sloan said in fright.

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **Hook, Line and Sinner**_ : Against all better judgement, Nina delivers Sloan's baby. And then the drama of Sloan vs. Nina begins even though she and Mark just got married.

 **Hey everyone, did you see that wedding coming? No? Lol, me either but my hands just…wrote and this came out of it. Sure, it might seem a little…rushed? But I feel like Nina is always so…dramatic. She's all for love and she knows that she loves Mark, and yes, he's hurt her, but being reminded that she could** _ **die**_ **any time and that scares her. So, Nina went after Mark and they got married. :D Next chapter even more drama will unfold… hehe… Also, did anyone catch George coming back? He isn't someone I want to focus on but I feel like he should be back at the hospital by now…huh.**

 **REVIEWS**

SkittlezxBabex146: Thank you so much for your review.

RHatch89: Thanks

Chachi94: Yeah but Meredith is jealous of how close Nina is with her husband, it's natural. I hope you aren't upset with this random marriage but still. Nina and Mark deserve to be happy, right?

Horselover345: Thank you so much!

NicoleR85: Did this chapter make you happy? ;)

Patsy: I can't promise anything. I write what I feel like and sure, Meredith miscarrying sucks but I haven't decided. Also, this story focuses more on Nina and Mark, not Meredith and Derek.

Welisarne: I do love me some drama, lol. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Sloansballas: I've been thinking about writing some more. Have you checked out my _Chances Are_ fic? I just need to have an idea and I'll run with it.

Guest: Hey, I totally understand. Really. Mark can be really nasty but I am also following the show. He won't be such a man whore now though, he knows that this is his last chance. ;)

Mia: I like that you can relate to Nina, as I like to keep things real if that makes any sense. But I also want Nina to be a romantic so she got married this chapter, because she loves Mark and what if one of them died tomorrow? Hint hint. As the shooting chapter is coming up soon…sigh.

 **I hope everyone is happy with these weekly updates because I am. Ha! I feel so proud of myself. ;) Ya'll should be proud of me too. Instead of studying for my exams which I should have been doing, I was writing for you.**

 **Anyway, I forgot to say this but to actually get the whole my writing something for you, you have to be logged into your Fanfiction account. If a Guest gets it, I will simply do the 201** **st** **reviewer instead.**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy~**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Hidden Truths**

 **Chapter 34: Hook, Line, and Sinner**

Sloan pushed her way into the apartment, holding her stomach and she looked terrified. Mark looked stunned as well, before he rushed to her side and helped her to the couch. "I'll be right back!" He said before rushing to the bedroom where Nina was waiting.

"Who was at the door?" Nina asked curiously, still naked and waiting for her husband.

Mark looked at Nina before he pulled on clothes, the sex the couple were going to have forgotten. "Sloan. She's in labor." He said.

Nina looked confused but she got out of bed when she heard Sloan's cries. She remembered giving birth to Ethan, how much pain she was in pushing out her son.

~x~

" _AMY! AMY! GET UP!"_

 _Nina was in her bed, unable to move because she was so scared; how was she supposed to do this? How was she supposed to raise this kid alone?_

 _Yes, she had her best friend but she was training to become a surgeon. She didn't have time for diapers, baths and babies. Nina could feel tears filling her eyes. Amy had said that maybe…if Nina couldn't do it…there was always the choice of adoption._

 _Finally, Amy walked into the bedroom sleepily. "Nina? What's wrong? Why are you screaming?" Amy yawned._

 _Nina gulped. She knew Amy had just gotten home from a 48-hour shift but she was scared. "My water broke. I think it's time!"_

 _Amy realized that it was in deed time for the baby. She moved forward and helped Nina to her feet and then to the car._

~x~

Somehow, Nina found herself in front of Sloan whose legs were spread and Sloan was pushing. Nina had gotten dressed before coming out to help since Mark obviously would need help. Mark was rushing out of the apartment to find Arizona even though Arizona and Callie were watching Ethan for them. When Mark, Callie, Arizona and Ethan came into the apartment, Nina was holding the newborn boy.

Nina could feel her hormones taking over and she nearly teared up, but she pushed it back down. Arizona took the baby whilst Nina returned to cleaning up Sloan and helping her deliver the afterbirth.

Mark moved to his daughter's side, taking her hand and he smiled. "You did awesome." Mark praised.

However, upon seeing his older half-sister, Ethan felt dread. Did this mean that his parents were going to be splitting?

~x~

Nina wasn't sure how to feel about all of this. She was standing outside of Sloan's hospital room, watching as Mark comforted his daughter. She felt jealous of the young woman, but she also knew that Mark only wanted a baby and at the moment, Sloan had that baby.

She reached down and touched her own stomach. She knew that Mark loved her and wouldn't leave her, but it still messed with her head.

When Danni arrived to check on Sloan, she spotted Nina. "Hey there grandma!" Danni joked.

Nina shot her OB a look. "God, I am not ready for those words. I have a seven-year-old son and a newborn on the way." She laughed weakly. She remembered Danni and most of the hospital didn't know she was now Doctor Sloan.

"Doctor Knight!" Nina turned and found George rushing towards her. The man was slowly getting back into the swing of things. "The patient who needs a new valve, they're wondering if the surgery will be done today or if Doctor Altman will be doing it."

Nina thought about it. "First things first, Doctor O'Malley. I um…got married yesterday. So please call me Doctor _Sloan_ now, and as for our patient. I should be able to but just in case, can you ask Doctor Altman to take care of it? Sloan just had her baby and Mark's going to need my help."

George looked surprised but nodded. "Right away Doctor Kn-uh, Sloan." He rushed off.

"So Mark finally pulled his head outta his ass?" Danni asked, feeling amused. "And why wasn't I invited to this wedding?"

"We went to the courthouse…again. I didn't want to take the chance of losing Mark so we married." Nina said trying to explain why she had done it. "But yeah, he realized that I'm it for him and he couldn't live without me."

Danni nodded and touched her hand. "I really hope that this works out for you, Nina."

"Thanks Danni." Nina said as her OB left to take care of Sloan. _You and me both…_

~x~

Nina knew that Mark was occupied with Sloan and his new grandson, so she took Ethan to the cafeteria to make sure Ethan was good. Her son was sitting across from her silently, staring down at his cheese burger. Nina's heart hurt seeing how upset Ethan was. "Sweetie, is everything alright?" She asked, gently reaching over to touch his hand.

Ethan looked up. "Mommy, 'cause Sloan's back, does this mean you and daddy are breaking up again?"

Her heart shattered. She remembered what had happened last time Sloan was in Seattle, Mark and Nina had split even though they were planning a future together. Nina shook her head and tried to give Ethan a strong smile. "Of course not dear. You know that I love your daddy and your daddy loves both of us. We won't be breaking up. Okay?"

"Do you promise?" Ethan asked, his eyes wide with hope and nerves.

"I promise." Nina smiled sweetly. She seriously hoped that Mark wouldn't make her break her promise to her son.

Ethan played with his food some more. "Is Sloan gonna live with us again? 'Cause she's so mean, mommy."

"Not that I'm aware of, sweetie. It's just you, daddy, your baby sister and I against the world, okay?" Nina reassured him.

"Okay!" Ethan said before eating happily, feeling much better now that he knew his older sister wouldn't be living with them.

"Would you like to see your daddy?" Nina asked.

Ethan nodded excitedly. "Yeah please mommy! Can we see my baby sister too?"

Nina smiled as she glazed at her sweet son. "I don't know about seeing the baby, but why don't we go find daddy, and you tell him he's having a baby girl?"

"Really?!" Ethan asked in surprise.

"Just finish your lunch first." Nina said nodding with a warm smile.

Ethan hurriedly began to eat his cheese burger.

~x~

It was as Nina and Ethan were looking for Mark that they saw Meredith Grey. Meredith was heading down to the trauma unit looking all professional and Nina couldn't help but frown. "See something you don't like?"

Ethan looked over with his mother and found Elliot standing there, looking down at a chart. "Mommy, who's that?"

Elliot looked surprised when Ethan called Nina his mother. "So this is little Ethan?" Elliot asked. "He's cute."

Ethan blushed and buried his face into his mom's shirt. "Ethan, this is Doctor Elliot Knight."

"He's a Knight like us?" Ethan asked quietly.

Nina nodded. "Yes he is. He's…he's your uncle."

"Like Uncle Derek?" Ethan asked.

"Just like Uncle Derek." Nina smiled. Nina looked up at Elliot who looked surprised. "We're actually looking for Mark…Have you seen him?"

"The last time I saw him, he was on his way to the Maternity floor. I think his daughter had a baby?" Elliot shrugged before he was paged. "Well, if you'll excuse me. The Gas Man is needed." Elliot winked before he disappeared.

"Is Uncle Elliot not a surgeon? But he wears the same scrubs as you mommy!" Ethan asked.

"He helps the surgeons. He's an Anesthesiologist, just like Doctor Warren is." Nina tried to explain.

Ethan looked thoughtful. "Doctor Warren is Tucker's mommy's boyfriend?"

"Exactly." Nina smiled. Her son really was very smart.

"One day, I'm gonna be a surgeon and I'll need an Anesthesiologist!" Ethan said proudly.

"What sort of surgeon will you be sweetie?" Nina asked as they began to walk towards the maternity floor.

Ethan smiled widely up at his mom. "Daddy says I'll be a great Plastics Surgeon but I think I wanna be like Uncle Derek. He works with brains mommy! I like brains!"

Nina leaned down and kissed his head. "Whatever you want to do, baby. But if you want, why don't you ask Uncle Derek about what he does? I'm sure he'll love to have someone interested in Neuro. That's what his specialty is called. _Neuro_. Just like mine is Cardio."

Ethan smiled brightly. "I want to be a Neuro Surgeon just like Uncle Derek!"

 _And to think, when Ethan first met Derek…he wasn't much interested in him._ Nina thought with a giggle.

~x~

They found Mark fetching a bottle for the baby. Nina tried to smile and be supportive because _technically_ , that baby was her grandson but it didn't hurt her any less. "Hey babe," Mark said as he kissed her lips and smiled when he saw Ethan. "Hey Sport. Wanna come with me to meet your new nephew?" He asked as he ruffled Ethan's hair.

Ethan looked unsure and looked up at his mother. "What does nephew mean, mommy?"

"Remember how you call Derek, Uncle Derek?" Nina asked, earning a nod from the seven-year-old. "Well, you are his nephew. So, that means…"

"I'm an Uncle too?" Ethan asked in surprise. Nina nodded and earned a confused look. "Do I have to be an Uncle?"

"Ethan!" Mark said with a frown. "Why wouldn't you want to be that baby's uncle? It's an important job."

Ethan looked up at his dad with a nervous expression. "Sloan's mean to me, daddy. And I like my first job, being a big brother to my baby sister." Ethan stated firmly.

Mark caught the words and he understood, but it still stung. He had a grandson and he was a newborn, but he also had Nina, Ethan and their newborn on the way. Mark's baby girl. He turned to Nina and swallowed. "We've having a girl?"

Nina nodded. "I know she's a few months away but she's coming. And Ethan is right, Mark. Sloan's cruel to him. I know you want to keep your grandson, but please understand, that Sloan isn't ready to be a mom. She still is a kid herself, she needs guidance. She isn't ready to be the one guiding." Nina tried to explain. "I talked to Arizona. Sloan picked out parents for that baby. That baby will be loved by them, just like our daughter will be loved by us. They're his parents and you're our children's dad."

Ethan listened to his mom, still gripping onto her hand. Mark looked just so conflicted. They looked up when Arizona and Callie rushed by to Sloan's room. Mark followed to make sure everything was alright while leaving his pregnant wife and son behind.

"Is daddy going to leave us, mommy?" Ethan asked.

"I sure hope not, squirt."

~x~

After putting Ethan to bed, Nina was sitting on the couch watching some random TV show while she waited for Mark to come home. She knew that he was struggling with the need for a child and giving away his grandson. So, when he arrived home, eyes casted down to the floor and a grime expression on his face, Nina got to her feet. "Mark?"

He looked up. "I called Trish and Keith. They'll…they'll make wonderful parents and Sloan's mom is on her way to bring Sloan home…" Mark said with a heavy heart. Nina moved over to take him into her arms. "Callie's destroyed because Arizona doesn't want kids, Nina. I want kids. I want a lot of babies…I want a house and dogs just like you said."

Nina gently cupped his cheek. "Mark, I love you. I know that it's hard right now, but that baby will have a wonderful life. And we'll have lots of babies Mark." She smiled. "We have Ethan and we have this little one on the way…" She took his hand and rested it on her baby bump.

"Oh my God…" Mark said in surprise.

Nina looked surprised too. "You felt her move too?"

Mark nodded. Their daughter had just had her first kicks felt by her father. He locked eyes on his wife and then he kissed her sweet lips. "I want Ethan to be a Sloan."

"Of course," Nina smiled. "I want him to be a Sloan too, but I…I don't want anything to come between us anymore. No more running, okay?"

Mark nodded and kissed her once more. "No more running." He smiled. "Ethan Marcus Sloan…that has a nice ring to it." Mark chuckled.

Nina giggled. "I've been thinking Dahlia for our daughter's name…What do you think?" Nina asked.

"Hmm…Dahlia Sloan…" Mark tested it out. "I don't know…I've always liked the name Whitney. Whitney Sloan has a really nice ring to it."

"Whitney sounds like a stripper's name." Nina rolled her eyes but she was wearing a fond smile.

"What about Ashlie?" Mark asked whilst rolling his eyes. "Since apparently, Whitney sounds like a stripper name."

"Ashlie…Ashlie Sloan…" Nina tested it out. "I…I like it. Ashlie Rosalynn Sloan."

"Why Rosalynn?" Mark asked.

"Ethan asked for Rosalynn. He says his favorite pre-school teacher is named Rosalynn." Nina shrugged her shoulders.

Mark knelt and faced Nina's stomach. "Hi there Ashlie. I'm your daddy and I'm going to love you so much. Okay? You'll never not know love." Mark kissed Nina's stomach and she gave her husband an eye roll. But, Nina was filled with so much love.

Which is why she pulled Mark to his feet and then brought him to their bedroom where they passionately made love.

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **How Insensitive**_ : With the help of Derek, Mark begins considering plans to build a house for Nina, Ethan and unborn baby Ashlie. Nina is now four months pregnant and it is now May 1st. Ethan spends the day with Uncle Derek since there is parent-teacher interviews day and that means no school.

 **Hey everyone. I hope you're happy with this chapter, I really enjoyed writing it. No offence to anyone with the name Whitney, by the way!**

 **REVIEWS**

Sloansballas: Thank you! :D

NicoleR85: I hope you enjoyed this chapter

RHatch89: Thanks!

 **Not many reviews for this chapter, oh well~! Anyway, five more reviews before we're at 200. THAT'S AWESOME! Thank you everyone!**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy~**


	35. Chapter 35

**Hidden Truths**

 **Chapter 35: How Insensitive**

It was May 1st and Nina was stuck with all the residents and teaching them about being sensitive. She had let Teddy take care of her patients whilst Nina was with the residents; originally Bailey was supposed to teach but she had been called away last minute. So there Nina was, standing in front of the board in her tied scrubs and looking a little bigger.

Last month her bump had _popped_. So now she was about four months pregnant and you could easily see her baby bump since this was her second pregnancy. She was trying to be reasonable but people were making jokes out of this even though it was serious business.

She paused in her lesson when her pager went off; she nodded and pocketed her pager. There was a patient coming in that needed all of the residents. Nina finished quickly, only pausing when Reed had a question.

"Why are you going so fast, Doctor Sloan?"

"An incoming trauma. Now, any others? No? Let's go." Nina waddled out first and the residents followed.

Slowly but surely, people were beginning to call her Sloan instead of Knight. People still messed up but after a lot of hounding from Nina and Mark, people were beginning to learn. Last week, Nina, Mark and Ethan had gone to city hall to change Ethan's last name so even Ethan was a Sloan now.

"It's like she popped overnight…" Percy whispered to Alex.

Cristina rolled her eyes. "It's natural, you idiot. This is her second pregnancy."

Nina frowned to herself when she heard the residents' words. "But like before, she was hot and now…? She's like a whale." Percy pointed out.

"You're just jealous because she's a way better surgeon than you'll ever be. And she gets more action than you." Cristina defended her Cardio Goddess.

"You really think she still gets sex?" Percy asked.

Meredith turned to glare at Percy. "Are you saying if your wife was pregnant that you wouldn't have sex with her?"

"Mere's right." Cristina stated. "You a total ass. This is why no one is boning you."

Cristina and Meredith high fived. Alex chuckled, "She's still hot, she's Mrs. McSteamy."

"Oh I like that." Cristina said.

George, who was back at the hospital the past few months, smiled. He chuckled. "You're just jealous that she gets more action than you, is a better surgeon than you and is flipping brilliant." George stated.

"We all get that you have a crush on her, 007." Alex rolled his eyes. George shot him a glare.

Finally having enough, Nina turned around. "No joking when it comes to this patient, do you understand me? One little joke and you're outta here." She said firmly. "And Doctor Percy, rectal exams."

"What? Why?" Percy demanded. Everyone chuckled at Percy. "That's intern's work!"

Nina frowned. "This is a serious case and if you can't even show me, your _boss_ , respect, I can't trust you to give our patient the respect they deserve. And if I hear you made an intern do your rectal exams, I'll personally make sure you don't see an OR until I come back from maternity leave." And then Nina stormed to the trauma unit.

"Should have kept your mouth shut." Jackson said shrugging before he followed the other residents.

~x~

There were too many doctors but she stuck it out until Bailey could come and take it back, so when Bailey finally arrived, Nina went to get something to eat. She made sure to text Mark to let him know she was taking her lunch break and she expected to see him.

She looked at the menu before grabbing a salad, a chocolate chip muffin, a ham and cheese sandwich, and a water. She found her way to a table and sat down, feeling Ashlie kicking at her. "I know baby girl, I'm hungry too." Nina giggled.

Callie rushed to the chair and sat down in front of Nina. "Did you and Mark ever fight about having kids?"

Nina blinked in surprise. "I…I think we talked about it once when we were first married. He said he never wanted kids and at the time, I was just content having him." Nina tried to explain. "But fight about it? No, I don't think so. Well…except when he chose Sloan over me. Does that count?"

"This is a serious conversation! Because Arizona, she doesn't want kids and I'm tormenting myself trying to tell myself no. That, I'm happy with her and I don't need kids but then I see you and Mark and I…I want that." Callie tried to explain. Nina understood the woman's struggles. "I want a baby."

"Callie, I may not have been quite where you are, but I have been there. Sort of." Nina reached forward and touched her hand. "Either Arizona will come around or she won't. But you can't expect her to change her views. Babies aren't for everyone."

"Mark said he didn't want babies before but he does now. What if…" Callie sniffled.

"And maybe one day she'll want one." Nina smiled sadly. "But you shouldn't have to wait around."

"You're right…" Callie sighed.

Mark arrived and found Callie ready to cry and Nina trying to comfort her. "Everything alright Callie?" He asked.

Callie turned her watery eyes onto Mark. "I think Arizona and I have to break up."

Mark pulled her into a hug. Nina felt awfully guilty because she and Mark were expecting their second child and Callie was still childless.

~x~

After Callie left, Nina turned to Mark and gave a loud sigh. "I feel terrible. We having our second baby and she is fighting for her first."

Mark leaned down and kissed her lips since he was sitting beside her. "Callie will get her baby; I can feel it." Mark reassured her. "Now how are my favorite girls?" He asked, resting his hand on Nina's baby bump.

"Percy made fun of me." Nina pouted. "Do you hate having sex with me?"

"What? Why would you think that?" Mark frowned. "I love making love to you Nina. And you being pregnant doesn't change that. I love it more sometimes because I know you're carrying my baby."

She buried her face into his shoulder. "You won't ever leave me, right?"

"Of course not. I love you baby."

The couple enjoyed some quiet time before George came rushing towards them. "Doctor Sloan?"

"Yes?" Both Mark and Nina answered.

"She-Sloan," George coughed slightly feeling embarrassed. "Doctor Altman was wondering if you were scrubbing in for the patient, Bobby."

Nina nodded. "Oh yes, Bobby. Um…tell her that I'll take care of Bobby. Tell her to man down the Cardio Wing while I'm busy."

George nodded and rushed off.

Mark kissed her forehead. "I like it."

"Like what?" Nina hummed gently.

"She-Sloan. Sounds sexy."

She giggled. "You're such a pervert."

"But I'm _your_ pervert."

~x~

Now Ethan was excited. He was excited to spend the day with his Uncle Derek. His mom had made sure his Uncle Derek could do it and his uncle had been all for it. He got his own little navy scrubs and his own lab coat – a lab coat his dad had made up for him.

Ethan looked at himself in the mirror which was in his uncle's office and grinned wider.

' _Doctor Ethan Sloan, Future Head of Neuro'_ was on his lab coat and it made him feel powerful. Ethan turned when his uncle arrived and he smiled at Ethan. "Ready for your first day, Doctor Sloan?"

"Yup!" Ethan rushed to his side and gripped his hand. "Thank you Uncle Derek."

"Hey no problem," Derek reassured him as he led him to the OR board. Ethan grinned as he stared up at his idol next to his dad.  
"So we have a meeting with the doctors on this patient. I should decide if the patient should get the surgery or not. But remember you can't repeat anything, alright?"

"Yes sir, Chief Derek!" Ethan saluted him. Derek chuckled as they entered the room. "Hey Doctor Bailey, hi Doctor Webber! I'm a doctor today too!"

Bailey and Richard looked down at Ethan and both smiled. "Hello there Doctor Sloan. Have you decided to become a Neuro Surgeon?" Bailey asked.

Ethan nodded excitedly. "I wanna be just like Uncle Derek!"

"Your father must be jealous." Richard chuckled. Everyone knew that Mark was bent on Ethan becoming a Plastics surgeon.

"Daddy says he just wants me to be happy." Ethan grinned.

Derek ruffled Ethan's hair before turning to the General Surgeons. "Now, the plans for Bobby?"

~x~

After the surgery, Ethan was floating on a high. He had not been able to go in and help, but he had been able to watch. He had watched his dad help save a man and he was so proud. His uncle had been called away but Meredith had promised to watch Ethan in the gallery since she wasn't going to be in the surgery – stupid Owen.

Seeing the surgery made Ethan want to become a doctor sooner. He was already very smart for his age and planned to skip a few grades. He wanted to be in the OR just like his parents and uncle.

After saying goodbye to Meredith, Ethan went to his mom who was smiling. "How was your day Ethan?"

"It was fun mommy!" Ethan said with a grin. "Can I come back tomorrow?"

"I don't know about tomorrow, but I'm sure Uncle Derek will let you come back if you were good." Nina said smiling.

They went to the Attending's lounge to change. Ethan continued to blab about his day, explaining how awesome it had been to see a surgery in the gallery with Meredith. Nina did not like Meredith as much as she used to, but she was thankful that the woman was nice enough to her son.

After they changed, they collected Mark and then together, they went home.

~x~

After both Nina and Ethan were in bed, Mark pulled out his cell phone to call Derek. He had plans he wanted to go over with his best friend. Derek answered with a heavy sigh that sounded fake. _"What can I help you with Mark?"_

"A house. Nina's going to have a baby in five months. We need a house." Mark sighed heavily.

Derek sounded surprised. _"And this couldn't wait?"_

"I want to surprise her." Mark explained.

" _What sort of house are you looking for?"_

"The dream house."

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **Shiny Happy People**_ : Mark finds a place by the water that he thinks is perfect. His words jumpstart Derek's plans to build Meredith the "Dreamhouse" so he throws a party. Nina takes care of an older man who re-meets the love of his life by chance in the ER.

 **Hey everyone, I know, quick update. But I want to finish this before the 14** **th** **since that is the anniversary of this story.**

 **REVIEW**

RHatch89: Thanks :)

 **Anyway, please review!**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy~**


	36. Chapter 36

**Hidden Truths**

 **Chapter 36: Shiny Happy People**

Nina, against all better judgement, was standing in Meredith Grey's house, holding a glass of apple juice in hand while people mingled. She had lost track of Mark earlier and was left alone for the most part. Cristina had been talking to her before she disappeared to the kitchen, claiming she needed more alcohol. That had been almost half an hour ago.

She sighed, looking down at her baby bump. She was wearing some comfortable pregnancy jeans with a green shirt and leather jacket on. Nina ran a hand over her stomach, taking a sip of her apple juice before she decided to go find Mark. She found him in a room with Derek and Owen.

They were talking about windows.

Nina smiled at the sight of Mark and Derek being friends again. Mark had told her about what had happened when he first arrived; it had taken months before Derek let Mark back in. "So how goes the planning for the Dreamhouse?" Nina asked, moving into the room.

Owen, Derek and Mark looked up. "Very well!" Derek said with a grin. "It's going to be wonderful."

Nina walked over to glaze at the blueprints. Mark wrapped an arm around her waist, rubbing her hip. "Maybe sure to have a room just for Markie. I may get sick of him." She giggled.

Mark rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Oh really?" He asked before kissing her cheek.

Derek smiled at the couple. "There will be a room just for Mark. I think Meredith wants a room for Cristina too."

Owen looked a little uncomfortable at that but didn't comment.

"You know, at my parties, we drink beer and dance on tables." Meredith said dramatically, coming into the room looking very beautiful but also bored. She eyed Nina before settling her eyes on Derek.

"Are you insulting my party?" Derek asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"We have a pregnant woman here, Grey." Mark pointed out, gesturing to his wife's pregnant belly. "She wouldn't let me stay if it was that sort of party."

Meredith kept up her fake smile. "It's getting kind of lame out there though. Everyone is here to support you Derek."

"Duty calls." Derek said as the boys moved away from the table.

They all left except for Nina and Mark. Nina continued to lean into Mark, finishing her apple juice while he finished his drink. He rarely drank anyway, claiming that if it wasn't fair for her to drink then he wasn't either. "I think Meredith hates me." Nina said quietly.

"Why would she hate you?" Mark asked, kissing her head.

She shrugged. "Because I helped Derek after he lost his pregnant lady case." She explained. "And then we became very close friends."

"Come on, let's go have fun." Mark said leading his wife out of the room. Nina didn't fight Mark as they went to find Callie. They found her sipping on something while watching Arizona. Mark kept his arm around Nina. "You're staring again." He commented, glazing over at Arizona, Callie's ex-girlfriend.

"I am not." Callie said scowling, but continued to watch Arizona from afar.

"Wanna come back to our place and play board games with Ethan? I'm sure he wouldn't mind having his Auntie Callie around." Mark commented.

Callie sighed, "I don't want to bother you right now. And I don't feel like bothering you with your perfect life." She said before storming out of the house.

Nina felt terrible, and was about to follow but Mark shook his head. "She needs space to cool down." Mark kissed her nose. "Why don't you go get some food? Go to the kitchen. See if you can find something for you to enjoy."

Nina nodded and left to go find something to calm her cravings. She ended up taking a tray filled with mini cheese and ham quiches. She returned to Mark to find Reed flirting with her husband. She listened to see if she could scare the resident.

"Doctor Sloan, I just wanted to say that your work with Doctor Shepherd on that acoustic neuroma was amazing." Doctor Reed said with sparkling eyes. "I was…inspired."

"Thank you." Mark said, giving her a smirk. He always enjoyed being praised.

Nina walked over and frowned noticing just how doe eyed Reed appeared. "Ah, Doctor Adamson!" She said moving to her husband's side, letting Mark take her tray filled with quiches. "How are you? Enjoying your evening?"

Jackson and April watched from afar as Reed's face turned bright red. "Doctor Kn-Sloan! I didn't realize you were here tonight!" Reed said with embarrassment.

Nina kept her body tucked close to Mark's. "Yeah, I found a babysitter last minute so I could support my best friend, Doctor Shepherd." She said smoothly. Mark took a bite of a quiche, unaware that these two girls were having a showdown…over him.

"Ah yes, ha-ha!" Reed said awkwardly. "Oh, I think I hear someone calling my name. If you'll excuse me!" She rushed off and back to her friends. April scowled and scolded her about going after another woman's man.

Nina turned back to Mark. "Are they good?"

He nodded. "Very. Here, try one." He fed her one and she let out a content sigh. Mark really wasn't looking at any other woman. He just wanted her and that made her extremely happy.

~x~

After the party, Nina and Mark returned home. Their babysitter, a young sixteen-year-old girl with wide brown eyes and red hair named Candice but everyone just called Candy, told them that Ethan was wonderful and had gone to bed.

"Thank you again Candy," Nina said as she handed the girl the money she had earned. "I know it was on such short notice- "

"It's fine Mrs. S!" Candy reassured her. "Ethan's an awesome kid. I was just going to sit around and watch Netflix all alone anyway. Why not enjoy it with someone else?"

Nina laughed gently and nodded. "Thank you."

Candy smiled and got ready to go. "See ya Mr. S!"

"See ya Candy." Mark waved to the girl. Candy slipped out of the room. Candy and her family lived down a few floors from them.

Now alone, Nina waddled over to her husband who was in the kitchen. He kissed her lips. "Why don't we enjoy some time alone while Ethan's asleep?"

She giggled. "Well I guess we could…Mr. Sloan." Nina giggled and hurried to the bedroom. Mark speedily followed his wife to their bedroom.

~x~

Mark was ready to head into surgery; he hated causing his patients pain, but he had to focus on saving this woman. Her hand was infected and he had to cut off three of her five fingers. As he entered the scrub room, he saw Miranda Bailey. He gave the woman a nod and walked over to the sink, beginning to wash his hands.

"W-" Bailey looked very determined but also very confused. "Was the sex with Knight – was it lousy? Is that why you cheated on her before? Did she disappoint you?"

Mark gave the woman an offended look in his eyes and he frowned under his mask. "What? No. No!" He told her firmly. He could tell that she was questioning him because of something else, so that was why he didn't shut her down.

"Is one woman never enough for some men?" Bailey pressed on. "I-I-no, I-I really want to know because I- me, I think I'm a good judge of character. I-I _am_ …a good judge of character, and I- and I… and Knight is a good judge of character. And then she trusted you."

As Bailey raved, Mark kept shooting her offended looks under his mask. But he could tell Bailey needed to rant so he allowed it.

"She trusted you and then you go… I-I just want to know." Bailey expressed, looking to Mark for answers on why Ben Warren looked to other women, thinking he was cheating on her.

Mark sighed. "I regret cheating on Nina with Carly. If I hadn't, I would have been there to raise Ethan with Nina. Maybe we would have had a few more kids. We would be able to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary soon. But it didn't happen like that and I hate it. At the time, I felt like Nina was suffocating me. I felt like I wasn't myself but really, I feared the man I was turning into. I thought I might turn into my parents, and I didn't want that sort of marriage." Mark explained, turning to look at his hands. Bailey looked ready to interrupt but Mark continued. "But right now, this time around, I don't plan on losing Nina. She's my everything, Bailey, and I don't want you or anyone thinking otherwise."

Bailey frowned, "How do you know you won't do it again?"

Mark swallowed thickly before answering, "Because I know what I have and I know how it feels it lose my everything."

Even though Bailey wanted to continue, she shook her head and went into the OR. Mark followed.

~x~

After finishing the surgery, Bailey asked if Mark wanted to ask the anesthesiologist to light up the patient. "You could always ask me yourself." Ben Warren said scowling under his mask.

Bailey didn't look at him. "Do you want to light her up?" Mark asked. Ben turned to do his job. Mark studied Bailey; he could see that she need something good to grip to. "No. Wait. I want to do the hair restoration."

"What about the chance of infection?" Meredith asked from behind Mark.

"Infection looked pretty isolated." Jackson peeped up from his seat beside Bailey.

"Do you think we can do it?" Bailey asked, looking pretty hopeful.

"Seems to me, that we are all in need of a little magic today." Mark said, glancing up at Bailey. "Right, Doctor Bailey? Let's do it!"

Bailey smiled under her mask, finally seeing that Mark was much more than just some man whore.

~x~

Nina was floating on surgery high; she had just placed a peace maker in a patient's chest and had made sure he and the woman he was in love with were okay, before she headed home. She changed into her normal clothes and then left the hospital, waiting by the car for Mark. She ran a hand over her baby bump and smiled seeing her husband run to meet up with her. They embraced and kissed. Once they pulled back, Nina spoke. "I never want to ever lose you again, Mark. Ever. Two of my patients…they loved each other but had to walk away. I don't want to regret anything in 50 years." She explained.

Mark smiled gently. "I'm sorry I slept with Carly, Nina. I regretted it as soon as it happened. And I promise never to cheat on you ever again." He leaned down and kissed her. "Also, baby, would you look at this and tell me what you think?" He handed her his phone.

Nina felt tears prickle her eyes as she glazed down at the screen, seeing a Midcentury Modern, a house by the ocean of Seattle. In the deception, it said to have five bedrooms, three bathrooms and it was modern so everything was up to date. It was perfect. "It's perfect Mark…" She whispered happily. Nina pulled him into a hug and kissed him passionately. She felt like she could fully trust him now, because for so long, all she wanted from Mark was to hear him say he was sorry.

~x~

 **Up Next:** _ **Sanctuary:**_ Nina is happy. Mark is happy. They're slowly but surely moving into their new home. If only today would continue to make them happy.

 **Hey everyone. Yup, tomorrow this story is one-year-old. Wow. I'm shocked! I never thought that anyone would even be interested in it, but you are and I'm so happy! Also, Happy Valentine's Day! ;)**

 **Anyway, congrats to "Mrs. Donald Flack Jr", you're the 200** **th** **reviewer! Thank you so much everyone. :) Hopefully, I'll have your fic up soon!**

 **REVIEWS**

NicholeR85: Isn't Ethan just the cutest? Haha. I hope you enjoyed!

H: It's okay! Don't worry. :) I love having Derek as Ashlie's Godfather. He's earned it. I'm with you. I wasn't sure about the marriage thing, but I am still rooting for them too. Which is why they're married and happy. Also, to put in extra kick for the whole shooting episodes…spoilers. #BURNTHECOUCH! Who's your favorite character? O.o Ethan will one day be a neuro surgeon 'cause he wants to be like his Uncle Derek. Hehe. And She-Sloan is awesome. I'm playing with the name "Sloanette" too. What do you think? I never liked Percy but his death still hurt me. UGH. Anyway, of course Ethan looked cute. He's a mini Mark. ;) I hope you enjoyed!

Mia: Yes, of course there will be drama. Isn't there always with Mark and Nina?

Mrs. Donald Flack: I'm glad. I love it too. It's my little baby. :) Anyway, Mark should have suffered a little more but Nina is always one to be dramatic. She loves to make sure she is saying a statement. And, well, she loves Mark. Anyway, I'll message you about your reward!

 **SO, thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I hope you've enjoyed this story! Only two more chapters to go…hehe… ;) Also, go check out my profile for what their house looks like!**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy~**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	37. Chapter 37

**Hidden Truths**

 **Chapter 37: Sanctuary**

Slowly but surely, things were getting packed up. Their apartment was covered in boxes and looked like a huge mess. Mark was in the kitchen, looking for the extra forks while Nina was getting dressed. Ethan rushed out of his room, wearing some comfortable clothes and his eyes wild. "Dad, could I ask you something?" He asked, chewing his lip.

"Sure sport. What's up?" Mark said, still looking for the forks. He had made scrambled eggs, breakfast sausages and grilled cheeses for breakfast.

Ethan fiddled with his hands. "Neveah Grimes asked me to be her boyfriend."

Mark spun around, his eyes wide with surprise. "B-boyfriend?"

Ethan nodded, "I think…I think I like her? But I don't know. She wants to have lots of babies but I told her that I want to be a surgeon and that I already have a baby on the way." Ethan stated. "How could I be a daddy, a surgeon and a big brother to Ashlie all at once?"

As Mark was stumbling over his words for wisdom for his son, Nina came into the kitchen. She kissed Ethan's head while he sat at the counter. She noticed Mark's expression and looked confused. "What's wrong with your daddy?" She asked, turning to Ethan.

"I told him that Neveah wants me to be her boyfriend." Ethan said simply. "And nobody my age says daddy anymore, mom. Everyone says 'dad'."

Nina frowned slightly, "You've always said daddy. What's wrong with daddy?"

"It makes me sound like a little kid." Ethan pouted. Nina didn't comment and found the forks, handing one to Ethan. Mark was still very stunned. "And girls don't like little kids."

 _Ah, I should have known. Like father like son._ Nina thought. "Well, there's no girls around except Ashlie and I, so you can say daddy and mommy. I won't tell." She promised.

Ethan shook his head and ate his breakfast. "I'm a big boy, mom. Girls like big boys."

~x~

After dropping Ethan off at school, Mark and Nina went to the hospital. Mark was still stunned about the news that Ethan liked girls. Nina wasn't so worried about it; it wasn't like Ethan was rushing to grow up and knew what actual "big" people did with each other. When they reached the hospital parking lot, she turned to Mark. "Babe, are you okay?"

Mark turned to her. "I just…I never thought that…isn't Ethan too young for a girlfriend?"

Nina rolled her eyes as Mark parked. They each got out, Mark grabbing Nina's purse for her. "He's only seven. He doesn't know what having a girlfriend actually means." She reassured him.

"Neveah wants babies." Mark commented, looking unsure as they walked towards the hospital.

"So? You want babies." Nina pointed out.

"I'm also an adult," Mark pointed out as well, sighing as they walked together into the hospital and to the Attending's lounge. "I'm not ready… I'm not ready for Ethan to want or have babies."

Nina smiled and kissed his cheek as they boarded the elevator. "I'm worried about how you'll react when Ashlie is born."

"Oh god…" Mark swallowed thickly, "She is not allowed to have babies or have a boyfriend. Ever."

Nina laughed as they left the elevator. "I want grandkids, Mark."

"I… Ethan will have to have them when he's older then."

"Whatever you say Mark."

~x~

Nina was in a really good mood; she knew that Teddy was in surgery with a gunshot victim and Nina was with Cristina looking after both Teddy's and Nina's post-opt patients. Cristina was off and Nina could sense that.

Nina was waiting for the elevator so that she could head down to the OR board to check the schedule. She was humming some silly song she and Mark had been dancing to last night. She was pretty sure it was "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias. She was just so happy and she felt like she was floating on joy.

She continued to hum and began to mumble the words, heading towards the OR board. She got onto the elevator and continued to hum. She loved Mark more than anything and couldn't help but feel just so thankful. Ashlie kicked Nina and she reached down to touch her belly.

"I know, I miss daddy too." Nina cooed to her stomach, not caring if anyone saw her. A man in a brown jacket got onto the elevator with Nina.

"Do you know where the chief of surgery is?" The man asked.

Nina could sense that something was up with him but she figured he needed Derek to sort through paperwork. _Sounds like fun_ , Nina thought dryly. "Doctor Shepherd? He should be in his office." Nina said smoothly.

The man nodded, "I've been there but I forget where it is." Nina gave him directions, as she continued to rub and try to sooth the child within her. "Thank you." The man said before he left as the elevator dinged. "Have a nice day."

"You too!" Nina called after before she returned to her humming. "What got you so worked up, little one?"

~x~

Mark was working on charts at the nurse's station when Lexie came walking up to him. "Could you sign this for Doctor Robbins?" Lexie asked, looking uncomfortable talking to her ex-boyfriend.

He nodded as he took the paper and began to sign it. "So how have you been, Lex?"

Lexie shifted on her feet. "Fine… Alex and I are… happy."

"Glad to hear it." Mark said as he handed the piece of paper back to her. He flashed her a bright smile and Lexie's knees felt weak. "Did I tell you about Ashlie?"

"Who?" Lexie felt her stomach twist.

"Ashlie, she's my daughter. Nina's pregnant with a girl." He said with such excitement. "But…Ethan…he uh, he's thinking about getting a girlfriend and I don't know what to say. Nina's cool with it but I can't help but worry – Lex?"

It hurt listening to Mark talk about how happy he was with Nina. "I…"

Mark looked down at his pager, reading that it was now lock down. "Weird, we're on lockdown." He commented.

Lexie swallowed, staring at his face longingly. _I'm with Alex!_ She told herself firmly. Right as she was about to say something she'd regret, a gun shot rang out. Screams filled the room. Mark jumped and covered Lexie's body, protecting her from the possible threat.

Everyone started running all at once. Mark could only think: protect Lexie. Lexie tried to help the dead nurse but Vivian…was dead. "Come on!" Mark shouted at Lexie, trying to pull her away. "We gotta get out of here!"

Mark kept Lexie's head close to his shoulder. Lexie felt safe in his arms and wanted to just… hold Mark close. She completely forgot about Alex until the elevator doors opened and there laying in his own blood, was her boyfriend.

~x~

Mark and Lexie brought Alex to a board room, Mark knowing that he would need to perform surgery to save Alex's life. He was also worried about his wife; Mark wanted to go hunt down Nina, to make sure she was alright but when he thought of it, he would see Lexie's worried face.

Lexie was freaking out and Mark knew he had to be the adult here, or else, Alex would die. So, he stepped up, praying quietly that Nina would be alright.

~x~

All Nina could think about was Mark; she was stuck in this hospital, alone and on lockdown. Ashlie had stopped kicking her so crazily but was still on edge, so Nina was hiding in an on-call room, trying to calm Ashlie. All she could think about though was Mark. Was Mark okay?

 _Of course, Mark's okay…he's Mark. Why wouldn't he be okay?_ Nina reasoned. But, something was nagging at her and she was getting worried. _I'm sure this is just a drill._

She got off the bed, hand still resting on her baby bump which was growing a lot now, she was about four and a half months pregnant now, and she began to waddle out of the room in search of her husband.

 _ **Mark, babe, are you okay? Love you. Xoxo -Nina**_ **.**

Nina messaged him on her phone before she began to officially waddle.

~x~

Mark was getting for a chest tube, focused on Alex who was in a lot of pain. Lexie chewed her lip, glazing at her boyfriend with worry. "Alex, it's going to be okay." She tried to reassure him.

Mark began to cut and Alex screamed. "Shut him up Lexie!" He demanded.

"Okay…okay!" Lexie swallowed thickly as she looked helplessly at Alex.

Alex continued to scream. "If you don't shut him up, the guy with the gun will come here." Mark scowled as he worked.

She ended up stuffing Alex's mouth with gaze. "I'm sorry." She uttered.

~x~

As Nina was waddling down the halls, she spotted Cristina and Meredith huddled beside a window, staring at something. Meredith looked horrified and she wondered what was wrong. Nina waddled forward as she watched Cristina cover Meredith's mouth.

Nina wondered what was up as Cristina held Meredith back. She turned and looked over to the bridge and saw the guy with the brown jacket pointing a gun at Derek Shepherd.

It was as Nina was watching Derek talk to the man that she came to realize why she should have stayed in the spot she did. Ashlie continued to kick wildly as Nina watched helplessly. The doctor inside of her screamed to go to Derek but Derek was calming the man down.

Until April opened the door and called to Derek.

Nina watched helplessly as the man lifted the gun back to Derek and shot him. All she could hear was Meredith's screams of agony.

 **Up Next:** _ **Death and All His Friends**_ **:** Nina must save Derek's life and Mark must save Alex's. But who will save the life within Nina and Meredith?

 **Hey everyone…quick update. Not much say except…my heart hurts.**

 **REVIEWS**

Georgia Peach: I'm playing around with the idea of Meredith keeping the baby.

RHatch89: Yes, they really, really do.

 **Anyway, please review guys. I'm gonna go work on the chapter 38. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Sorry if it's so…weird this chapter, I couldn't figure out where I wanted Nina. And there aren't many scenes with Mark and Lexie.**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy~**


	38. Chapter 38

**Hidden Truths**

 **Chapter 38: Death and All His Friends**

Nina could only stand there and watch as Derek fell; she swallowed thickly before she turned on her heels and started rushing to find a way to Derek. It looked like he had been shot in the chest and would need her. She rushed quickly, ignoring Ashlie's warning kicks and she focused on the task on hand: save her best friend.

~x~

Teddy and Owen were pushing a patient to the ICU. "You have to choose for Cristina's and my sake. Her or me." Teddy pleaded with him.

Owen sighed. "I choose no one. I taking myself out of the equation." Owen firmly said. Teddy sighed as they continued to walk. Owen stopped when he noticed a body. He moved forward, knelt and felt for a pulse. "He's…George is dead."

There laying on the ground was George O'Malley, the man who survived a bus running over him, was dead.

~x~

Nina knelt over Derek, trying to calm the man as she worked on trying to stop the bleeding. She stared down at her best friend, swallowing thickly. "Don't you dare die on me, Derek." She said firmly.

Meredith came running forward and Nina didn't lift her eyes to the petite woman. "Oh _God_! Derek! Please don't die I love you!" Meredith cried out in fear for her husband, kneeling beside him and grabbing for his hand, while Nina continued to work.

"Meredith… Nina… get out of here…" Derek whispered, groaning as he closed his eyes. "Before he shoots you too…"

Meredith shook her head. "Don't you die! I can't live without you!" Meredith snapped at him.

Cristina came rushing over and Nina lifted her head to her, still holding the wound closed. "I called the police." Cristina said, moving to her friend's side.

"If you die, _I_ die!" Meredith continued to yell at her bleeding husband.

"Good…" Nina breathed out before looking up to Cristina. Cristina and Meredith kept yelling, trying to be the one heard and it was hurting Nina's head. Meredith was yelling at Derek about how he couldn't die and Nina understood, if it was Mark… Nina would be in the same boat.

"The police aren't going to be here in time…" Cristina said to Nina, staring blankly in shock at Derek. "Derek needs surgery…"

"YOU STAY AWAKE!" Meredith yelled in worry.

Nina looked up at Cristina. "What do we do?" Cristina asked.

"We get a wheelchair. Fast. Then we get Derek on it, have Meredith keep the wound close and we move him to the OR. I'm going to have to crack his chest, find the bullet and patch him up. Cristina, do you understand me?" Nina said firmly, noticing that Cristina was freezing up. She had to be strong, she had a life depending on her. "Cristina!"

Cristina nodded and hurried to go find something to move Derek. Meredith continued to cry over Derek.

Nina turned to Derek. "You stay awake. You hear me? You're Ashlie's godfather. She needs you." Nina told him quietly, as she kept the pressure. Meredith continued to wail.

~x~

"You gotta eat more… bacon…" Alex grunted, laying on the table bleeding. He felt loopy as Mark continued to work on him.

"What?" Mark asked, stunned by the man's words.

"You stop yourself from doing a lot of crap that you want to do in life…" Alex said, sounding like he was in a lot of pain. "I mean, I'm dying and I'm telling you to eat more bacon… have more sex…"

Mark nodded slowly, leaning over Alex. "Okay. I will. I'll eat more bacon. But you gotta hang in there because she's gonna be back any minute. She had to run to the blood bank and back." Mark said as he opened another gaze.

~x~

Nina swallowed thickly, looking to Meredith who was getting a hold of herself finally. "You prep him, okay? Cristina, I need you to scrub in. April, I need you to help Meredith prep Derek. Okay?" Nina got a nod from each of the women and then she turned to make sure everything that she would need was in the room. Derek looked very pale. Nina made sure that there was enough blood for him in the room.

Nina turned when she heard Derek whisper, "Kiss me." To Meredith. Meredith leaned down and kissed his lips, not wanting to move because if she did, Derek might die. "I'm not going to die. I promise." Derek uttered weakly.

"Good, 'cause that would be the worst breakup ever." Meredith said gently, pulling herself together for her husband.

Nina turned to April. "April, go get Doctor Hunt for me. Make sure to bring Doctor Knight, the anesthesiologist. Make sure to also bring the OR nurses. Go!" Nina told the woman.

April nodded and went to go find the people Nina needed. Meredith continued to prep Derek whilst Nina went to scrub in.

~x~

Nina was scrubbing in, watching as the team worked together to prep the OR for her. She turned to Cristina, who was also scrubbing in but looking not so ready. Meredith came in. "They're ready." She said softly. "Can… can you do this?"

Nina turned to Meredith, her eyes on her as she hid her frown behind her mask. "They don't call me a Cardio Goddess for nothing." She said, trying to be confident. When Meredith turned to scrub in, Nina shook her head. "No. There is no way you are going into the OR. You will cause my residents to freeze up. There is a reason we don't allow family to go into the OR with us." Nina said firmly.

Meredith looked ready to argue but April entered. Cristina turned to April. "April, Meredith will sit on the this floor. You will watch her. Doctor Sloan doesn't want Meredith in that room. There will be no peeping either. If she does anything, you have to stop her." Cristina said firmly.

Nina smiled gently. "I think you've earned the right to call me by my first name, Cristina." Nina said. "Just… don't let anyone hear it." She tried to joke.

Meredith frowned. Cristina flashed a small smile to her idol. "Thank you…"

Even though she didn't want to, Meredith sat.

~x~

"Izzie?" Alex whispered for his dead wife.

Lexie moved forward. "It's Lexie…"

"Iz… I'm sorry…" Alex whispered, sounding like he was in a world of pain. "Don't go… we got married… please don't go…"

Lexie could feel tears filling her eyes. She shook her head, "I won't go anywhere." She promised him.

"You came back for me…. Iz…" Alex whispered.

Even though she knew she was lying, Lexie nodded. "I came back."

Mark stood off to the side, watching with pain in his eyes. Now that Alex was sort of stable, they were just waiting for the blood to take, all he could think about was Nina. Was she alright? Was she dead? _I wish I had my damn phone on me…_ Mark cursed himself. He had left it in the car this morning.

"Don't ever leave me…" Alex uttered. "Don't ever leave me again…"

"I won't." Lexie sniffled, glazing down at her dying boyfriend. "I won't ever leave you again. We're always gonna be together, okay? Always."

"Yeah." Alex tried to smile but he was in too much pain. Lexie continued to cry.

Then, the door opened and the SWAT team arrived. The floor was cleared and they were taking them out of the hospital. Mark turned to the SWAT team, looking very worried. He assumed the SWAT team had already saved his wife. He would see her outside.

~x~

Once they were outside, Mark told Teddy all that he knew about Alex. He knew that Teddy could take care of Alex.

After helping them load Alex up, Mark began to look for Nina. He looked around everywhere before laying his eyes on Teddy. "Teddy, where's Nina?"

"I… I'm the only doctor out here." Teddy said nervously.

Lexie didn't want to talk about Nina though and tried to get the topic back onto Alex. "Is he going to be okay?" Lexie demanded.

Teddy didn't answer. She turned to follow her patient. Lexie felt tears fill her eyes.

Mark frowned as he turned and got off the vehicle. "Mark? I need you!" Teddy said frowning.

"I can't leave her here, Teddy. She's carrying my kid. And… she's my wife… she's my everything. If I lose her, I lose everything." Mark said before turning to go back to the hospital.

~x~

Nina was standing in front of Derek's body, focused on the task. Jackson was with Meredith and April, since Nina only really needed Cristina's hands in the chest with her own. Nina tried not to think about how wildly her daughter was kicking and she was trying not to think about Mark.

Her hands were literally in her best friend's chest; she had to be strong though and she tried not to think about it like that. She stared down at Derek's heart, trying to find the bleeder.

"Can you see where the blood is coming from?" Cristina asked.

"Not yet." Nina answered. "Damn it… I can't see anything. Suction." She demanded.

Cristina worked on that, focused on that while Nina continued to work.

Nina frowned when she felt where the bleeding was. "It's by the aorta."

Cristina cursed. "Can you get it?"

Her green eyes locked on Cristina's brown ones. Her eyes screamed that playful smile she always gave her loved ones. "There's a reason why I have three Harper Avery's and you call me your Cardio Goddess. More suction Yang."

Nina went back to work, holding out her hand for a clamp. She would need to clamp, then saw open the chest to get past the ribs and fix the lungs. She didn't even notice that Ashlie had stopped kicking.

~x~

It was like her life was flashing before her eyes; she couldn't stop fixing Derek, or else he would die… but the gunman was there, holding a gun to her head and telling her to stop. She had two children she needed to live for but Derek… Derek had this future and he needed to live too.

Nina could hear someone enter the OR and then there was Owen's voice. Cristina sounded hopeful but Nina knew there was no hope. She continued to fix Derek, Cristina working on suction and Owen tried to calm the man down.

"Stop fixing him!" Gary yelled at Nina. "Let him die. Let him lie there and _die_!"

Cristina was sobbing at this point, seeing her idol at gunpoint, seeing her best friend's husband on the table… knowing that her own ex-boyfriend was in trouble.

Nina couldn't though, she couldn't stop working so she tried to give Cristina a helpful look. "Do you want me to shoot you?" Gary yelled.

"Stop! She's pregnant!" Cristina tried to plead. She noticed Gary's eyes drift to her stomach.

"STOP FIXING HIM!" Gary yelled, causing Nina to close her eyes tightly and Cristina to scream.

Nina swallowed thickly, "Cristina, I need you clamp- "

"Don't you dare! I will shoot you!" Gary growled, pointing the gun at Cristina. Owen called out stop and Gary pointed the gun at him. Cristina quickly clamped and Nina continued to work before the gun was back on her. Tears began to pool in Nina's eyes when Gary lowered his gun to her stomach. "I will shoot you in the stomach so that your baby will die!"

"HEY!" Owen yelled. "That woman is someone's wife, someone's mother! She has a son at home and she has a husband who will fall apart completely if you kill her! That baby she is carrying has not had the chance to live yet! That woman with her is the love of my life! Touch either of them and I will kill you!"

Cristina looked at Owen, looking at him with pleading eyes to save them. Gary turned the gun back to Owen, who was the bigger threat at the moment. "I said stay back!"

Owen looked very torn. Nina tried to brace herself as she continued to work; she nodded to Cristina who kept suctioning.

"Maybe I shoot you and then I shoot her and then I shoot Shepherd. Is that what you want?!" Gary yelled with rage. "I didn't come here for this. My wife is dead and he's responsible!"

 _I love you Mark… Please keep Ethan safe for me… make sure he knows that I love him too._ Nina thought with a heavy heart as Gary continued to yell at Owen. And then the gun was back on her and Nina's heart began to really race. That was when the doors opened.

"Shoot me." It was Meredith. Jackson tried to stop her but Meredith shook him off.

"Meredith." Cristina looked so horrified.

"You want justice, right? Your wife died." Meredith said, panting and looking just so pleadingly. She had to save Derek. She had to keep Nina safe so that she could save Derek. "I know what happened. Derek told me the story. Lexie Grey is the one who pulled the plug on your wife. She's my sister. Doctor Webber… he was your wife's doctor. I'm the closest thing he has to a daughter. And the man on the table… I'm his wife." Meredith was gasping for air, trying to do everything in her power to save her husband. "If you want to hurt them, the way that you hurt, shoot me. I'm your eye for an eye."

Cristina shook her head from across the table, "Meredith." The gun was now pointed at Meredith. "Meredith."

"You tell Derek that I love him and that I'm sorry." Meredith said, accepting her fate.

"Meredith." Cristina's voice cracked as Nina continued to work. She had a plan. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! She – she's pregnant! You wouldn't shoot a woman who's pregnant, right?" Cristina had to believe. Nina glazed down at her own stomach, frowning but she kept working.

It was as Cristina did her plan that she told Nina to hold up her hands. Owen had been shot and now there was no games. It was real. "His chest is going to fill with blood any second!" Nina said, her eyes on Gary.

"NO! Don't stop!" Meredith cried and Nina told her to shut up. "NO! No!"

Then the machine flat lined.

"NO! DEREK!" Meredith wailed. Meredith kept chanting no.

"See? He's dead." Cristina said, whilst Gary stared at the screen. "It's over. It's over… he's dead."

Nina closed her eyes, her whole body buzzing with energy. She just wanted this man to leave her OR. She could feel everything all at once; and her thoughts went to the cupcake scrub cap on her head. It was the one Ethan picked out for her.

Finally, Gary left.

Meredith continued to wail before Cristina and Nina jumped into action. They reattached the wires and got back to work. "Mere, is Owen dead?" She called. Meredith froze. "Doctor Grey, is Owen dead?!"

Meredith continued to whimper as she crawled over to Owen. "He's- He's alive…He's alive but he's unconscious but he's alive."

"Take Owen to the OR across the hall, and take that bullet out of his chest. Get April and Jackson to help you." Nina said, knowing that Cristina was in shock so, she stepped up as the Attending.

"Doctor Sloan- "

Cristina had tears in her eyes.

"We are trying to save _your_ McDreamy." Nina said firmly, not looking away from the chest. "Now go save your _best friend's_ McDreamy."

Meredith nodded and took Owen out of the OR to save him, getting help from Jackson and April.

~x~

 _The Way It Ends_ by Landon Pigg

~x~

After getting Derek safely to the ambulance, Nina realized something. Halfway through the surgery, Ashlie had stopped kicking. She looked around for someone to help her and then her eyes fell to Mark. Meredith was beside Derek, holding his hand; Cristina was speaking with the police about what happened, gripping onto Owen who was also getting looked at.

Nina and Mark moved towards each other. He pulled her into his arms, feeling tears flood his eyes. Nina began to sob into his chest, gripping onto his bloodied shirt. "Mark…"

"Nina…" He uttered, holding onto her. "I overheard… are you okay?"

Nina nodded her head slowly. "Ashlie… I need…"

"Oh God…" Mark was worried but he didn't want to let her go. He grabbed a portable ultrasound and gel; Nina stood still as he checked on the baby. "Thank God…" He uttered as the sound of Ashlie's heartbeat filled their ears.

"She… she stopped kicking…" Nina whispered, reaching to down to touch the side of her stomach.

Mark locked eyes with hers. "You were doing surgery on our best friend with a gun to your head. She's freaked out." Mark whispered.

Nina looked up at her husband and then she kissed him passionately. Mark returned the kiss. She pulled back and looked into his eyes. "We need to go for a vacation… get away from all this… death. Please?"

"Whatever you need babe." Mark whispered.

She nodded and held onto him. "Let's take Ethan and go to LA."

"Why LA?" Mark asked, tilting his head sideways.

Nina took in a deep breath. "I need to go somewhere with a beach and I need Addison Montgomery to reassure me that my baby is going to be okay."

Mark nodded and kissed her lips once more. "Whatever you need, Nina, whatever you need. I love you."

"I love you too."

~x~

 _ **The End**_

~x~

 **Hey everyone. So, this is the end. Hard to believe, huh? Nina and Mark have come a LONG way, haven't they? Anyway, this is the end of "Hidden Truths". I think I will be doing a sequel but I want to hear your thoughts.**

 **Should I do a chapter before season 7? Where Nina, Mark and Ethan go to LA? Or skip right to season 7? Let me know.**

 **Also, seriously considered having Meredith miscarry but I won't reveal what I decided until the sequel (If I do a sequel). I really thought about having Nina miscarry too but obviously, that didn't happen. Can you imagine Mina not having their Ashlie? I couldn't do it!**

 **Here's all who died: Reed Adamson, Charles Percy, George O'Malley, and Gary Clark.**

 **REVIEWS**

NicoleR89: Thanks!

H (36): Hehe, I'm glad to hear that you really, like Nina and Ethan. I was really, really, scared that no one would like them. And at first, people made me think so. Everyone was like "Lexie needs to be with Mark!" and I was like "But Nina…". Oh, well. I'm on the Mina train too! I'm glad Mark has come to terms with it too because can you imagine there being no Mina? I can't. I love them together. Thanks, by the way. ;)

H (37): Yes, Ethan does have to grow up ya know. LOL. I was crying writing it and re-watching the episode. To write, I re-watch the episodes to give myself some inspiration and I was bawling. Fuck… I hate crying. As you can see, Nina did save Derek and Mark saved Alex. And Mina will live on. They're going to LA to visit Addison! Thank you. I hope you enjoyed~!

 **Let me know your thoughts and as always thank you and I love you all.**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy~**


	39. Note

Hey y'all, long time no write. ;) I supposed I'd let you guys know that I've started the sequel to _Hidden Truths_ and it's called _Guilty Survivor_. It takes place during season 7! But make sure to check out the one-shot, _Surprise, Surprise!_ So that you understand know what's up. I have a surprise in it for everyone.

I hope to see all of my regular readers back for the sequel and new ones! I love you all!

Xoxo,

Nerdy~


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